Guthrie News Leader: What volunteer work, fundraising or other community involvement does the Guthrie Fire Department participate in?
Eric Harlow: Our local Firefighters Union has done a variety of philanthropical work over the years. Most recently they assisted Logan Community Services with the construction of a new volleyball court and replacement of their basketball goals at the youth shelter here in town. They also will typically do a breast cancer awareness t-shirt every fall. Of course, we are always at many of the community events such as Red Brick Nights, 89’ ers, etc.
GNL: Do you have any specific people who are particularly active?
Harlow: Captain Ryan Reeves is one of the most active personnel we have. He frequently will come in on his days off to assist on big emergencies or fill in when we are busy. He spends a lot of time up here in addition to his normal duty days. We have several others that are very responsive to coming back into work when we are shorthanded or get busy. Ryan is also very active in the Firefighters Union and often spearheads the various things they do.
GNL: What do you think are some of the benefits to staying involved and active in the community?
Harlow: I believe that being active and involved in our community is paramount to both the community’s and fire department’s success. Often times, fire departments’ (or EMS services’) only interaction with citizens may be during times of an emergency. This may very well be on a citizen’s worst day. I feel that we should take the opportunity to be proactive and interact with those citizens during positive times, such as during community events or festivals. It’s much better to have a casual conversation and discuss things with our citizens in a nonemergency situation. It can pay dividends down the road by developing those relationships prior to an emergency.
GNL: What is your favorite part about serving the area?
Harlow: The people. Both those we serve and those that I’m blessed to work with. I have truly met some of the nicest and supportive citizens here over the years. We have tremendous community support for our department. Our city truly has some of the highest caliber of employees you can find. Every department is always ready to chip in and help each other out with anything they need. Our department heads are like a family and are constantly working together to make Guthrie a better place.