A SLOGAN FOR FIREFIGHTERS

By Dan Miller
April 17, 2008

The Augusta National golf course was teaming with folks from Nashville and, during our brief time there, it seems we encountered every one of them.

Late in the morning Rudy Kalis, Terry Bulger and I decided to stop walking for a while, and rest in the mostly empty bleachers next to the 8th hole.

As we climbed to the top, we happened upon five Nashville firefighters who -- like us -- had driven down to Augusta for the Tuesday practice round at the Masters.
There, for the next half-hour or so -- as we all watched Gary Player, Trevor Immelman and others putt around on the green -- we chatted with the firefighters sitting with us.

One of them, it turns out, was assigned to the fire hall fairly close to my home.
He informed me that -- should I ever have an emergency -- his engine company would be the one to show up at my house.

I told him how, a couple of weeks earlier, we very nearly had just such an emergency when one of my daughter's cotton shirts fell onto an incandescent light bulb and -- literally-- caught fire.
(Fortunately, it was quickly discovered and extinguished before any damage was done, though our house did reek of smoke for a few hours)

Our conversation then drifted back to golf.

But as I headed down the stairs to leave the bleachers, one of the firefighters uttered six words that could easily be used as a "mission statement" or "business slogan" for the fire department, if they wanted such a thing.

Just before I stepped onto the fairway grass, he called out, "Hey Dan."

"Yeah," I answered, turning around....

In a measured, reassuring voice he said, "Call us if you need us."

"Thanks" I said.

There, folks, is an eloquent slogan.....
"Call us if you need us."

That's what those guys are all about.

__________________________________