Well, I don't know if any of you guys know Tab Mccollum, but he passed away about a month ago (September 26). He was the Assistant Chief on our fire department here in Gratis. He died early that morning in his sleep.
Tab had been on the department for a pretty long time before I joined. He was the perosn who invited me to join cadets. He was a brother, a mentor, and a friend to all of us. I don't think it'll ever be the same without Tab, but our department has grown alot closer since then. It's kinda weird because nobody really expected it. I can't say for sure but it seemed like he knew he was going to die. He was a saved Christian and I know he's in heaven right now.
Everyone who talked to him earlier that week said he seemed completely at peace and that he cherished every moment with all of us. Tab taught me alot of the stuff that will make me a firefighter one day, I'm just glad the rest of our department is still doing well. There used to be somewhat of a rivalry between Station 18 (Gratis) and Station 800 (West Elkton) but , at least from how I see it, that rivalry is gone now, and we work together with a great sense of brotherhood.
Well, I just figured I'd let you guys know that,
-Jim Kolonis
Gratis Fire Cadet
Unit 18-70
(If you ever come up to Station 18 here in Gratis, Look above the doors, Tab's unit tags are hanging there as a memorial.)
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Hey ppls howsit goin! Welcome to my journal! Here I'll put stuff anywhere from fire department calls to paintball tournaments! expect the unexpected inside and enjoy the show.
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