On The Road

First stop, Trinity Center, California.   

Located in the North part of the state, nestled in the Siskiyou Mountain Range and the Trinity National Forest. The town sits at the North end of Trinity Lake, where the State’s record for small-mouth bass was caught in April, 1975.  Population of locals is small, 200 year round residents. The next “big” city is  Weaverville, 39 miles away across the mountains and is the County seat, population 1,800.

This area of the state was part of the California Gold Rush in 1849 and that era has left its mark in the landscape and architecture. The local cemetery has a headstone from 1851, “Unknown Stage Robber”. A period of time when carrying out justice was swift and identification was not important. The Scott Museum still has supply wagons and the giant water cannons that were used to wash mountains away in the search for gold during that time period.

As I have mentioned previously on several occasions, once outside the big cities, both fire and EMS are dependant on small volunteer departments where its neighbor helping neighbor, budgets are limited, and where the impossible seems to happen to get the task done. Car washes, bake sales and BBQ’s are a way of life for financial support.

TCVFD members showing prospective volunteers the apparatus and equipment

I wanted to start with Trinity Center because this group will always hold a special place in my heart and admiration.

My father use to live in this small community and 10 years ago, on a snowy January morning he suffered a cardiac arrest. Were it not for this dedicated group of people who volunteer their time and resources, my father wouldn’t have made it. They are directly responsible for allowing me to have an extra 7 years with my father. For that I will always be grateful.  

Always friendly, they invited me to attend their training meeting to observe as they went thru orientation with several new prospective applicants. I was impressed with their enthusiasm and esprit de corps. They take pride in their training and equipment and are always eager to show the local community what they do.  This is a community where people still wave at one another in passing even if you’re a stranger. Road Rage has not made its way here as yet.

Eager for the challenge, this small department and their dedicated staff of 12 donate their time and efforts to be an ALS provider, which is almost unheard of in similar size communities. This is the example of selfless dedication where neighbor helps neighbor and the reward is not measured by anyone’s pay stub or seen on the 6 o’clock news. Since the lake and it surrounding beauty, this area attracts a daily tourist population that often exceeds 2,500 between Memorial and Labor Day’s, the call volume increases with that demand.

This is an example how both fire and EMS is provided across this country once you leave the big cities.

A tip of the hat to the Trinity Center Volunteer Fire Department and its dedicated members. Not just a good job, but a great job.

Next stop, somewhere in Maine.

10/3/06