GIVING THANKS TO FIRST RESPONDERS

Box 4 Fire Buffs Aid Firefighters At Disaster Scenes

INSIDE LAKE HIGHLANDS FIREHOUSE 28, beside the fire engine and behind the ambulance, sits a heavy box truck labeled “Emergency Disaster Services.” The red-and-white truck is kept sparkling clean inside and out by members of the Box 4 Fire Buff Association, whose volunteers are on call 24/7 to roll out to aid and comfort firefighters.

Stepping into the truck is like stepping into a 7-Eleven. Water bottles and Gatorade are kept inside coolers with sliding glass doors. Granola bars, Little Debbie snack cakes, packets of peanuts and other treats line the shelves, and bags of ice are at the ready. Industrial coffee makers and microwaves are belted down for taking bumps at high speeds. The most appreciated amenity, an indoor bathroom, stays cool in summer and warm in winter.

When a fire broke out back in the old days, firefighters would “put a box on it,” assigning a box, or geographic area, to determine which department would handle the call. Dallas businessman and philanthropist Julius Schepps loved to ride on fire trucks as a youngster and was named honorary Dallas fire chief in 1924. When the group formed in 1963, it was named after Box 4, the box number for Schepps’ home and business Downtown.

The group has about 30 members, who listen for calls via home radios or through digital apps. Mark Duval, president of the nonprofit, works in his day job as an operations and safety manager for a trucking company and has been active with the group for 16 years.

“Some people see us out at the scene and think we’re the fire department. Some people see the truck and think we’re the Salvation Army,” Duval says. “The Salvation Army purchased our truck, and we finished it out. We can service any county in North Central Texas experiencing a disaster, and we support any public agency that calls.”

The group goes on 100 runs a year, mostly major fires. Their newest partnership is with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department.

Mike Hoskins, retired after 32 years with the Dallas Police Department and 15 years with Dallas Fire Rescue, has been a member volunteer for almost 10 years.

“It’s a passion for the folks who do it,” Hoskins says. The firefighters themselves raise as much as $20,000 a year to fund Box 4.

Recruiting volunteers, they say, isn’t difficult. Finding folks to stick with it is harder.

“It’s a yearlong process to become a member,” Duval says. “When people ask to join, we ask that they come to at least 10 runs. They have to pass an extensive background check because we’re so close to law enforcement officers and firefighters. We have to vet our members really well, and we explain that they’ll see things, at times, that they won’t be able to talk about.”

Story by CAROL TOLER

Hoskins’ decades as a first responder give him a unique appreciation for the work of the volunteers.

“I’ve been on both sides of this. I know how important this job is to the firefighters on the scene. I’ve been out there in the cold, and I’ve been out there in the heat. When you come out of a hot fire and you’re dripping with sweat and you see this truck, you know they’re there for you. They’re going to give you cold towels to put around your neck and something to drink and a place to sit and relax and recuperate.”

Hoskins’ wife, Karen, serves with the Box 4 Fire Buffs, too.

“Karen’s dad was a Dallas firefighter. My dad was a Dallas police officer. My grandfather was a Dallas firefighter. We’ve been raised in this. It’s what we do,” Hoskins says. “We’ll get a call at 1 in the morning and might not get home until 5. Then she goes home and takes a shower and goes to work. Luckily, she works for Comerica Bank, and they encourage her volunteer hours.”

The task is grueling – so why do they volunteer?

“I went to Jesuit (College Prep),” Duval says, “and our motto was: We’re Building a Man for Others. I always did volunteer work, but that didn’t always speak to me. I found this group online, and I know it was what I really wanted to do. I came to my first fire, and I’ve been hooked ever since. For me, it’s being a servant to all these firefighters because they’re putting it on the line for me every day.”

Duval and his wife, Jennifer, live near Skyview Elementary, but they previously lived a stone’s throw from Station 28.

“I could hear the speakers whenever they had a run,” he says. “Those first few years when the sirens went off, I had a huge adrenaline surge. Now, I have a mile to drive to the station, so I work to calm down so I don’t get in a wreck.”

Taking care of the ones saving lives and property is rewarding, they say.

“We know the firefighters appreciate us because they tell us every day. It’s a rewarding experience. Every time they come to the window to get a drink or snack they say, ‘Man, we sure appreciate you being here,’” Hoskins says.

Says Duval, “Every one of them could lose their life today trying to protect me. This is something minor I can do to tell them ‘thank you.’”

Donate to the Box 4 Fire Buffs at box4.org or at Station 28 at 8701 Greenville Ave.

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