By Leila Merrill
FireRescue1/EMS1
KILLEN, Ala. — A firefighter whose house was destroyed in a fire Saturday is asking people to donate to local volunteer fire departments, WHNT reported.
Since the fire, community members have donated more than $3,700 to help Florence Fire Rescue Engineer-EMT Kevin Darby and his family.
Darby said he’s grateful but would also like for people to support volunteers.
“If you have the means to donate to those guys and ladies, I would really like to see that that was done as much as possible,” Darby said. “They’re underappreciated, and I can’t stress enough how much they depend on on the community.”
“These guys and ladies, they’re not paid,” said Darby, who told News 19 that he used to be a volunteer firefighter. “They show up on your worst hour. They all have livelihoods. They all have families. They come in and put in the work, take time away from their families. They take a chance on getting injured.”