Rex Burnett begins every shift at Dallas Hearth-Rescue Station No. 17 with a three-mile run on the treadmill or across the block. 

Burnett, who’s been with the fireplace division for 37 years, is a driver engineer on the Lakewood Hearth Station. 

“Greatest determination I made in my complete life, moreover marrying my spouse,” he says. 

Station No. 17, established in 1970 on the nook of Belmont Avenue and Skillman Avenue, responds to calls in an space roughly bounded by SMU Boulevard, the west aspect of White Rock Lake, Interstate 30 and Henderson Avenue. The firefighters’ life-saving acts are sometimes publicized, however their personalities and mundane duties on the station aren’t. Maybe it’s time to get to know a number of of the individuals who assist shield East Dallas.

Rex Burnett. Picture by Jessica Turner.

Individuals like Burnett, for instance, who’s been on the Lakewood Hearth Station for eight years. After a long time on the job, he is aware of his manner across the metropolis. 

It’s a slower station in comparison with others, Burnett says. The Lakewood firefighters usually reply to seven to 10 calls in a 24-hour shift, however when Burnett was working at a station in Deep Ellum, 30 runs in a shift was regular. 

Eight firefighters are on responsibility throughout the day. They begin with breakfast, after which they examine and clear the apparatuses. After guaranteeing their gear is prepared, they fill their time between calls with a wide range of actions. 

Simply as relations have chores round the home, the Lakewood firefighters have a special task every day — washing home windows, cleansing the lavatory or sanitizing the kitchen, for instance. After a 24-hour shift, they get 48 hours off.  

Stephen Robinson, who has been on the Lakewood station for 10 of his 18 years on the job, cooks for the group. He retailers for groceries, too, however all firefighters break up the invoice. They usually have themed-meal days, like Taco Tuesday and Fish Friday, and so they eat collectively.

“I put just a little effort into it and make it just a little higher than what everyone else cooks,” says Robinson, who grew to become a firefighter to have a purposeful profession and make a distinction on the planet. “You may solely have spaghetti and lasagna, hamburgers so many instances.” 

Other than tidying up the house, the firefighters use down time to check for promotions or do job-related workouts, comparable to elevator coaching, to organize for various conditions.

Spending a lot time collectively, whether or not it’s hanging out across the station or working collectively to avoid wasting lives, means the firefighters have created robust bonds. 

“That is our household for a 3rd of our life, so we get to hang around with them for twenty-four hours,” says Clay Prepare dinner, who has been a firefighter for 23 years, together with 4 years on the Lakewood station. “It’s simply household right here, prolonged household.”

The firefighters at Station No. 17 have additionally fashioned a deep connection to our neighborhood. On their brand, printed on their T-shirts and the again of the fireplace engine, there’s a drawing of the Lakewood Theater tower. 

“Our doorways are open anytime,” Burnett says. “Youngsters come by. They have a look at the apparatuses. We mainly give them a show-and-tell. We’re within the Fourth of July parade; that’s a giant hit yearly.” 

The firefighters say they’re grateful for the kindness of the neighborhood. They adore it when folks cease by to speak or drop off treats. One resident even donated a set of lounge chairs for the station’s front room. 

“It is a nice neighborhood,” Burnett says. “The folks actually deal with us good, deal with us proper.”