news-record.com

Skip to the site menu
Skip to search

OPINION

Coming together to honor a comrade

Letter
Comments (5)

Friday, November 13, 2009

(Updated 3:00 am)

Counterpoint:

By David Taylor

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, I received notification that no fire chief wants to receive.

Chad Eric Greene, a 13-year veteran of the High Point Fire Department and 18-year veteran of the Union Cross Volunteer Fire Department, passed away within a few hours of working an emergency for the Union Cross department.

Both fire departments worked together to plan and conduct the appropriate “home-going ceremony” for this beloved and dedicated firefighter.

Local fire departments were joined by law enforcement, EMS and other public-safety agencies, which provided assistance in coordinating the participation of several thousand who attended either the family visitation or funeral service.

The funeral procession was measured to be four miles long. These agencies also brought honor guards, equipment, apparatus, patrol cars, motorcycles and personnel to help us provide fire protection and traffic coordination to our citizens that allowed most on-duty High Point firefighters to attend the services for their fallen brother.

The High Point and Union Cross departments are proud of all public-safety agencies in North Carolina, and we are humbled by the support given us during our hour of need. Yes, High Point, North Carolina and America, the firefighter/public-safety brotherhood is alive and well in North Carolina.

On behalf of the Greene family and the Union Cross and High Point fire departments, I send our most sincere gratitude for the commitment shown by the participating public-safety agencies.

The writer lives in High Point and is High Point fire chief.

Letter To The Editor

Article: God makes very clear what marriage means (3:00 am)
Article: Playgrounds and parks are no place for guns (3:00 am)
Article: Who’s real technocrat? Obama or the church? (3:00 am)
Article: God is a Duke fan? (3:00 am)
Article: Trader Joe’s isn’t issue; an area’s character is (3:00 am)
Article: One quote from Forbes deserves another one (Feb. 15)
Article: Voters’ choice should be clear this November (Feb. 15)

Advertisement | Advertise with Us

Comments

View Comments

This letter has been closed to new comments. Comments are accepted on select letters to the editor between the hours of 7 AM and 5 PM, EDT, Monday through Friday.

Inappropriate content? Please report abuse.

firerescuechick

November 13, 2009 - 8:54 am EST

I am truly sorry for your loss. Hopefully, the day will come when we no longer lose brothers in the Line of Duty.

".....When we say 'yes' to the firefighter's life, when we say 'yes' to duty, honor, and sacrifice, we are saying 'yes' with you fallen hero. You are alive in ways that can't be seen: we follow our dream in your footsteps and, as you emptied your goodness into life's cup, so we will follow and raise it up- for our hearts are one in a sea of blue.....May our fallen heroes live on in our every act of courage, in every deed of honor, in every discharge of duty, in every mark of kindness, in every expression of compassion, in our passion for the job, in our every achievement, in our every success, in everything we do: May you live on, fallen heroes, in the enduring sea of blue." -Bill Manning, "Fire Engineering", 6 Oct. 2002

Never Forget......RFB

truth

November 13, 2009 - 9:07 am EST

I can appreciate that firefighters and law enforcement are a close-knit community.

This is definitely a sad story. Always is when someone so young and full of promise dies. Especially when children are left behind.

However, I question taxpayer money being used to pay onduty firefighters to attend a funeral. If the firefighter died in the line of duty, that would be one thing. But, from what I understand, that wasn't the case. These firefighters should have taken leave like the rest of us.

firerescuechick

November 13, 2009 - 12:41 pm EST

He died after responding to a call. That is classified as a Line of Duty Death. Are you going to harp on the military about them attending a funeral for one of their own while they are on duty? That uses taxpayer money as well. Not to mention that the ones attending the funeral were mostly off-duty. On-duty personnel were at the several fire departments around the county doing there jobs, protecting the citizens of this county. They didn't get to pay their respects to their fallen brother. Firefighter funerals are extremely organized, ceremonial events that follow military funerals closely. There is ritual that has to be performed. It is not like a civilian funeral that someone would have to take leave for. My BROTHER, because that is what he is, died after doing his job. He deserves the respect that he has earned.

truth

November 13, 2009 - 4:16 pm EST

I responded on the other letter but let me respond here as well. My understanding was that he did not die from injuries received on the job, but several hours later after taking his son to preschool.

That may be classified as a Line of Duty Death but seems strange to me.

No disrespect towards Firefighters. I have several friends that are firefighters and most people have no idea what these guys have to face on a regular basis that have absolutely nothing to do with fires. Like being first-responders for instance. And the schedule. Lord, I don't know how they maintain any kind of life with that schedule.

Anyway, I apologize if I seemed insensitive.