New Sharon Fire Aids Flood Victims
New Sharon, Iowa – New Sharon Fire Chief Josh Crouse is like most small town volunteer firefighters. He volunteers his time to protect his community.
When the call comes in for help, Crouse and others like him leave their dinner, say a quick goodbye to their families as they rush out the door, ready to help a stranger trapped in a car or a neighbor whose home is on fire.
When Oskaloosa News caught up with Crouse, he was busy lubricating the light tower on one of the town’s fire trucks. A necessary and mundane task, something most volunteers like Crouse do every year.
New Sharon Fire also has another mission, one that their community has supported for years, and was spearheaded by former chief Steve Gerard.
The department leads a group of first responder volunteers all across the country to help others in need after a disaster. They also help those nearby, like Iowa and Nebraska residents impacted by the epic spring floods that have destroyed entire communities.
“We left last Thursday. We headed off to a small town thirty miles southeast of Sioux City called Hornick, Iowa,” said Crouse. “When we arrived there, we were actually told that they didn’t have a whole lot of work for us. So while we were there, we did clean out one basement. I made some phone calls to a relative that I have that lives in Fremont [Nebraska], and said we will be there in three hours if you have the work and a place to stay. They told us there was plenty of work and to head that direction.”
“So we left Thursday morning at 3:30 and we finally made it to Fremont, Nebraska about 1 o’clock that afternoon. Thursday afternoon we did two and a half houses, and then we resumed on Friday and worked all day Friday, all day Saturday and left Sunday morning,” said Crouse. “In total, we did 11 houses total. That ranged everything from just pumping water out to completely gutting a basement, including walls and everything.”
Crouse talked about all of the work the volunteers have done during the past year. “Last year our crew, we responded to Marshalltown after the tornado, Des Moines twice after the flooding, and then also Warsaw, North Carolina, and Port St. Joe, Florida after the hurricanes.”
The volunteers from New Sharon Fire are often looked at for their expertise after disasters to help guide others.
“You know, I think the people are looking for an answer, some help, some guidance on what to do. When this happens, most of these people have never been through it before. Like I said, we have. We know, we have a general idea on what needs to be done, but the people that we’re helping, they really have no idea the steps they need to move forward,” explained Crouse.
The mission from New Sharon Fire isn’t a new one and finds its roots in the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
“This started in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina, and I think every year since then we’ve been on some sort of a trip, if not multiple. I would definitely like to see it continue,” added Crouse. “I think our group and the surrounding departments that have now been involved, they enjoy going on these trips and being able to help the people. I do think it will continue.”
For Crouse and the department, they thank their community for supporting them.
“Our community is what makes this possible. If it wasn’t for our donors and the people that have helped us in the past, we wouldn’t be able to go help these people,” said Crouse. “Our families, our friends, they give us the time to do this. And then everybody who makes things possible while we are there. When we were in Fremont, we were fed dinner every night. They gave us a place to stay and that makes a big difference in us being able to dedicate our time to helping others.”
