Firefighters help pay it forward

The Times-Picayune

Local firefighters hope to bring truck loads of trees on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to help rebuild a town devastated in May by an F5 tornado.

Greensburg, Ks., has been chosen by the New York Says Thank You Foundation for a project to construct the Kiowa County 4H Pavilion, a 14,000-square-foot building that will be used as a gathering place for the community.

Joining more than 1,400 volunteers will be local firefighters and other volunteers from Slidell who will be leaving Sept. 3 to make the 17-hour trip to the small Kansas town. The local contingent will be led by St. Tammany Fire Protection District 1 fire inspector Erik Kreppein. Beside bringing manpower for the effort, he hopes to fill the beds of three pickup trucks carrying the volunteers to the site with trees for the town.

"This is the first communities to be rebuilt following a disaster that is being rebuilt totally 'green.' " Kreppein said. Since they are pretty much "starting from scratch," Greensburg and the Department of Energy are working to include as many energy resources it can in the rebuilding, he said.

"We live in a green community. This would be a gift from Slidell and the Firefighters Association to this little plains town in Kansas. Kreppein hopes individuals, nurseries and local business will donate 10 to 20 trees to give to the town.

Joining Kreppein on the trip will be battalion chief Bill McInnis, captains Tony Lowe, Gil Berkins and Troy Lombard, and firefighters Chris Hewitt, Kelly Williams and Matt Dupre. Also going are Mike Vincellette with Fire District 7 and Bill Glaser with the city of Slidell who heard Kreppein speak at the Bayou Liberty American Legion Post 374.

The group also is raising funds for the trip. Time off has been provided by the fire department. This is an all-volunteer effort, Kreppein said. They will need to pay for fuel and hotel rooms and will take all the tools they need to work with on the trip.

"We're going to try to build that thing in two days with locals and volunteers," he said. The build is scheduled to coincide with the tragedy's anniversary "to commemorate the sacrifice," he said.

"It's the generosity New Yorkers received after the 9-11 attacks" that started the annual New York Says Thank You program, Kreppein said. "This pays it forward.".

"I've made great friends and look forward to seeing the guys from Indiana" and elsewhere he has met on the annual trips.

To donate trees or needed funds for the trip, contact Kreppein at (985) 788-6294.

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Sharon Sharpe can be reached at ssharpe@timespicayune.com or 645-2856.

Published on NOLA.com Wednesday, August 6, 2008 2:27 p.m.

Published in The Times-Picayune Thursday, August 7, 2008