Ran into an old EMS friend

Yesterday, I worked a shift at Four Oaks EMS.  As usual we ate breakfast at King's Restaurant.  While eating I was shocked to see an old EMS friend come in the door with his wife.  It was Larry Hobbs.  Larry was a member of Elevation Fire Department for over 21 years, a charter member of 50-210 Rescue Squad and a former Assistant Chief of both!  Larry was always known as a down-to-earth country fella who had a heart of gold and always went above and beyond to help others.  Larry was one of the two first full-time employees at 50-210 EMS along with Sharon Roberts - both were EMT-I's at the time.  Larry worked in the ER at JMH (Now JMC-Smithfield) for many years, and also worked with MidSouth Ambulance Service. 

Larry is doing GREAT!  He works as the draw bridge operator at Surf City, is happily married and is loving life.  He returns to his homeplace in the Elevation community regularly to take care of yardwork, etc.  He says he hopes to retire in April of next year!  He loves life at the beach, loves his Lord and his wife. 

What a pleasant surprise to run into someone who I consider a big influence in how EMS evolved in Johnston County in the 1990's.  Larry was present for the transition of 50-210 from EMT-Basic Level through EMT-I Level and got out of EMS just prior to the squad becoming paramedic level.

New Website! www.jocofire.com

I hope this blog post finds everyone doing well.  I wanted to take some time today to let you know about my new website.  I have been working very hard over the last few weeks to develop a comprehensive website that covers Emergency Services in Johnston County.  The site is www.jocofire.com and I developed it with the hopes that it is somewhere that all Police, Fire and EMS folks in Johnston County want to visit EVERYDAY to get updates and see new photos of their departments in action and not in action. 

I have my camera with me at all times now and intend to take as many photos as possible with the focus being on personnel and apparatus.  One of my biggest regrets in the last 20 years of my career in 911 and EMS is that I have very few photos.  I especially lack photos from the 90's.  I wish I had a picture of EVERY ambulance I ever rode on, every police officer that worked with us, every partner I ever had on the EMS unit and every Fire Engine that responded with us.  I have had the honor of riding on some awesome and not-so-awesome pieces of apparatus and wish I had a photo of the extierior and interior of each.  I also wish I had photos of some of our equipment as well. 

I hope you all will visit my site, and visit it regularly!  I also hope each of you will dig through your old files, records and drawers and find me photos!! No matter how insignificant the photos are, I would love to have them if they involve any type of emergency service in Johnston County or one of our mutual aid departments.  I especially would love to have photos of JAS, Midsouth, Metro and the Lion's Club Ambulance Service of Smithfield.  I also want to collect histories and apparatus rosters from each department that currently operates in Johnston County.  I have a brand new vest with "Photographer" on the back and I hope to see you at your incident scene soon!!