New firefighters ready to serve
Submitted photo
The Winston-Salem Fire
Department's Fire
Recruits Class XXIII
pose at a training
facility.
Westbrook
Jones
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
On Jan. 15, the
Winston-Salem Fire
Department (WSFD) grad
uated 19 trainees from its
Fire Recruits Class XXIII.
The graduates are now
working as firefighters in
stations around the city, liv
ing at their station for 24
hour shifts as they're on
call to respond to emergen
cies at a moment's notice.
Four African
Americans were in the
class. Out of the 357
employees that work at the
WSFD, 93 are African
Americans.
Among this new crop
of firefighters is Alfred
"Theo" Jones, 25, who was
in the Army National
Guard for six years and
began his firefighter train
ing literally days after leav
ing the Guard. He said he
loved adventure but also
loved helping others. He'd
helped people internation
ally in the Guard and now
wanted to do the same with
the WSFD.
"1 was always in love
with the fire service. I think
the job is very weighty, it's
a very big deal and 1 want
ed to be a part of it," he
said.
Jones, a Charlotte
native who moved to
Winston-Salem three years
ago, said firefighter train
ing was intensive. He said
there was extensive read
ing, studying and testing
for the medical training and
the fire training was physi
cally demanding.
Jones is stationed at
Fire Station 18 on
Peacehaven Road. As of
Jan. 26, he had yet to go
out on a call. His station
had gotten several calls for
service while he was on
duty but were canceled
when firefighters from
other stations got to the
scene first. Firefighting can
involve a lot of waiting
and training, he said, but he
was looking forward to
going out and helping peo
ple. Living in a fire station
during his shifts reminds
him of being in the bar
racks during his National
Guard service. He said
everyone there shared the
same mentality and were
dedicated to helping others.
He said between his
firefighter's
salary and his
wife's income,
they have nq
problem mak
ing ends meet
while raising
their 6-year-old
daughter. He
said he appreci
ated the pay
raises that fire
fighters and police got late
last month from the City
but the pay wasn't really a
factor for him.
"As long as 1 know I'm
impacting people, that's all
that matters to me," said
Jones, who has degrees in
business from American
Intercontinental University
and is currently working on
his master's at Liberty
University online.
For William S.
Westbrook III, 28, becom
ing a firefighter was fol
lowing in his father's foot
steps. His father, William
Westbrook Jr, was a fire
fighter with the WSFD for
17 years.
He said his father
would regale him with sto
ries of the fires he respond
ed to when he was younger
and he also got to hang out
at the fire station some
times. He said being a fire
fighter seemed like the
"best job possible" to him.
"It was always in my
heart to be one," said
Westbrook.
He tried for several
years to become a firefight
er after graduating from
Elizabeth City State
University with a business
degree but couldn't get past
the physically demanding
agility test in 2010 and
2012. The third time was
the charm and he was able
to pass the tests to begin his
training.
He said the experience
has been "awesome."
After going through a burn
ing building during train
ing, he can't imagine doing
anything else for a living.
He described his class as
orte big family that quickly
bonded to become broth
ers.
Westbrook is stationed
at Fire Station 2 located off
South Stratford Road. He's
been on several calls,
including grease and chim
ney fires and some false
alarms.
"It's exciting, your
heart is pumping a thou
sand times a minute," he
said. "You're ready to get
there and help in any way
you can."
Westbrook, who plans
to get married in August,
said he was also grateful
for the raise but is alsb OK
with the pay.
Thank you for attending WSTA's public meetings on proposed
changes to our fixed route bus system. Your voice contributed to the
development of what we believe will be a great new transportation
system coming in 2017. We listened very closely and made
modifications based on some of your concerns about the proposed
changes. That information is now available for you in the form of a
booklet with routes and turn by turn directions. Pick up a copy at the
Clark Campbell Transportation Center or download the information
from our website @ wstransit.com.
As we move closer to 1/2/2017, we invite you to join us as we take the
next step in public transit for Winston-Salem. W \
IAt$TA&xtbus
MNSTOHSALfy! TRANSIT AUTHORITY
_ .