Retired Bristol Virginia firefighter Rick Simpson said firefighters always see themselves as family members instead of co-workers – and that tie has been even stronger since much of Simpson’s Bluff City, Tenn., house collapsed during a recent severe storm.
“I called one [Bristol firefighter] and said, ‘Hey, I need some help,’ and before my wife and I could look up, it was like the U.S. Cavalry was on the scene,” Simpson said Friday afternoon, his voice full of emotion.
“At one point, there were 30 people out in our driveway, helping however they could and doing all they could,” he said. “What’s happened to our house is terrible. But I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to know what the word ‘family’ really means.”
To Bristol Fire Chief J.C. Bolling, the outpouring of support from department personnel for Simpson was something to be expected, as much as admired.
“We always look out for family and help family,” Bolling said. “So when someone in the family reaches out for help, like Rick, it’s not even a question. We’re going to reach in and help out. You’re always a family member.”
That extended family has been reaching in and pulling up Simpson and his wife, Lisa, since Wednesday, when massive rainstorms caused the back foundation of their Fritz Hollow Road home to burst and collapse into the basement – turning it into a wreckage of piled cinder blocks, mud, dust and destroyed possessions.
The couple wasn’t at home when the early-evening collapse occurred: Since Simpson retired last December as a Bristol Fire lieutenant after 27 years in the department, he and Lisa spend much of their early evenings at their motorcycle shop on Volunteer Parkway.
“When you come to your house and see your basement covered in huge blocks and mud and water – and realize that you and your wife could have been underneath that – well, you know God was looking out for you,” Simpson said.
“But it’s still terrifying to see,” he said. “And you say, ‘What are we going to do now?’ ”
The couple’s plight became starker when they learned the insurance policy on their home, built in 1990, would not cover the damage nor play much of a role in clearing the debris. Simpson said his insurance company told him the damage wasn’t covered because it was caused by unusual ground movement, which is viewed as “an act of God” under his policy.
That’s when Simpson began calling his fellow Bristol firefighter family. Many answered, spending much of their free time in recent days clearing debris from the wrecked area – and helping to shore up the home as much as possible.
“It’s been phenomenal. It’s meant so much,” said Simpson, whose son, Robbie, is a Bristol, Tenn., firefighter.
“When you’re used to giving help, like I was for so many years, it’s amazing to know the love and support you can receive from being on the other end,” Simpson said.
“We’ll never be able to put a price on that,” he said. “It’s more than all the valuables we lost when that foundation went into the basement.”
rbrown@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2512
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