When firefighters are dispatched to a service call, they’re often meeting some¬one who’s having one of the worst days of his or her life. Knowing he can make that person’s day a little better has inspired veteran volunteer firefighter Lt. Terry Jackson to answer the call of duty for 42 years — and counting.
“You’re not looking for that pat on the back or anything, but if you know you helped somebody, it makes it all worth¬while,” Jackson says. “Being a firefighter, it’s every kid’s dream. I’ve been blessed to be able to do it as long as I have.”
Homegrown Pride
There are 2 things about Jackson that never change: He always serves in a role to protect others — as a firefighter, EMT, Army National Guard soldier and even a police officer for a little while — and he’s always called Hartford home. “It’s just my nature. I can’t explain it,” he says. “It’s just my way of giving back to the community.”
At one time, Jackson held the title of fire chief for Hartford Fire-Rescue. When his term ended, he became the only former fire chief to start over as a rookie to climb the ranks again, all the while passing along his wealth of knowledge to the next generation of first responders.
Despite many decades of experience, Jackson says he still exercises extreme caution on the job.
“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t scare me,” Jackson says. “Even after 42 years, you still step back and look at everything from every angle before wading into it.”
Dangerous Service
His commitment to service earned him recognition in the form of a new title: Silent Hero of the Wiregrass. The Silent Heroes of the Wiregrass program is a partnership between Wiregrass Electric Cooperative and WTVY to honor unsung heroes who are bettering their communities. WEC’s Operation Round Up Foundation presented Jackson with a check for $1,000 to help him continue his good work.
“Everyone knows a community is better when they have a good fire department,” says Brad Kimbro, WEC’s chief operating officer. “Terry has gone above and beyond the call of duty for Hartford in volunteering his time and energy to meet that need with others at Hartford Fire-Rescue. Fighting fires is a dangerous profession, but Terry and volunteers like him risk life and limb to save the lives of others. It’s a privilege to recognize Terry on behalf of Wiregrass Electric members who fund Operation Round Up by rounding up their monthly bills to the next dollar.”
Jackson doesn’t do it for the praise, but that’s precisely the attitude that elicited a nomination.
“I was flabbergasted,” Jackson says. “I appreciate it. It means the world to me.”
Jackson won’t put an end date on his public service. After retiring from the street division of the City of Dothan Public Works Department, being a first responder gives Jackson a sense of purpose. “When you’ve spent as many years as I have doing it, it’s not just something you walk away from,” Jackson says. “It’s something that’s in your blood.”
Volunteer fire departments fill the critical role of protecting small communities like the city of Hartford, and they do it with little public funding. Volunteer first responders are often the first on the scene of an emergency. Jackson encourages everyone to support their local volunteer fire departments with donations or by volunteering for service.