By Bill Graham
The Meridian Star
SUMTER COUNTY, Ala. — Firefighters in Sumter County, Ala. will hold a fish fry benefit Saturday to help the family of a highly respected colleague who died last month.
Tommie Joe Brooks II was a firefighter with the Siloam Volunteer Fire Department and Cuba Fire and Rescue. Brooks was also a captain with the South Sumter Fire Battalion, and was planning to serve as fire chief for the Siloam VFD prior to a recent hospital stay.
About eight years ago, Brooks was seriously injured in a car accident. Since the accident, he had numerous surgeries and complications. The young firefighter was admitted to the hospital in early October, and sadly, died Oct. 17 at the age of 28.
Brooks left behind his wife, Lauren, and their four children: Landon, Madison, Aively and Blakeleigh.
Rindy Vaughan, one of the organizers of the Saturday benefit, remembers Brooks as a generous firefighter who liked to laugh.
“Tommie responded to wrecks where he was the one who held people together all the time, where he was the difference between life and death for them,” Vaughan said.
“And when you talked about Tommie, you knew you were going to laugh, she said. “He was funny, because he wanted everybody around him to laugh.”
Vaughan said Brooks was thought of as a loyal and dependable friend by his colleagues.
“You knew you could depend on him for whatever you needed,” she said. “If it meant you had to call him at two in the morning because you needed help, he’d get up and come help. It didn’t matter if it was pouring down rain or what, you called Tommie. The guys knew they could depend on him.”
Brooks had been part of the fire service since since he was old enough to join, Vaughan said. He had completed several training programs and was a certified firefighter, as well as a certified instructor.
To help the Brooks family with medical and burial expenses, the South Sumter Fire Battalion is hosting a fish fry Saturday. Plates will be sold for $9 and tickets can be purchased by calling 205-499-6241 or 205-742-8854. Tickets are also available at the following local businesses: Young’s Grocery in Cuba, Cash Buy Sell Trade Pawn Shop in York and Unlimited Looks Salon in Cuba.
The plates will have Mississippi farm-raised fried catfish, hush puppies, two sides and a homemade dessert. Tickets require a name and phone number as those who buy tickets will be entered into a drawing for various door prizes. The prizes will range from hand crafted items to small hand tools. Winners will not have to be present to win. Plates will be available for pick up Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cuba Bar-B-Que Club.
Vaughan said there are other ways to support the Brooks family. An account has been set up at the Bank of York, where anyone can make a donation to the Tommie Brooks Benevolent Fund. T-shirts with an “American Firefighter” theme are also being sold. Donations are also accepted online at www.gofundme.com/tbrooks559.
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(c)2015 The Meridian Star (Meridian, Miss.)
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