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"News" in the world of Public Safety...

If you have any "news" to add email dennis@offdutynetwork.com

March 2010

OK one of our fellow brothers has just diagnosed with stage 3 Cancer. This message is inform you that the members of The Red Knights GA Chapter 18 is going to be putting on a benefit ride to help his family with any expenses they may incur! This ride will be happening on April 10th more details to follow as everything is coordinated. I need everyone to put this on their calendars and pass it along to everyone that you know and all friends on your facebook account. We need to have a GREAT turn out for this ride to support this fireman and his family!!!

Hey Y'all I dropped the ball on this one, it's a little late for Winter classes but maybe you can get in the next class.

Find more information about Firefighter Hunter Knowles of Baldwin County. Hunter is battling cancer and Derma-Gard and the Milledgeville Fire Department are raising money to help him out.

It's already that time again and as usual we will be marching in the parade. This years parade is Saturday March 13th (less than 2 weeks from now) All FESMA members are encouraged to attend. Family is welcomed also. We will have a fire truck and a trolley this year in place of a float. A big thank you to our newly elected President Harold Phillips for the trolley, and Brian Dobson for the fire truck. These contributions saved us over $2500. Any family wanting to ride in the parade while we march, space is on first come first served basis.

**Please wear your departmental dress uniform, Kilt, or duty uniform. If none of these is possible wear a FESMA shirt. If you do not have a FESMA shirt call me.

**If you wear a uniform of any kind think about a change of clothes for the post parade festivities.

The weather has not cooperated the past two years but this year looks promising. We need a great showing at this event.

******THIS IS NOT A MEMBERS ONLY EVENT, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD AROUND YOUR DEPARTMENT AND LETS GET AS MANY MARCHERS AS POSSIBLE***

Hey all I received this email from a friend of mine and was hoping you would be able to help a fellow Brother out. Eric was a member of Roswell Fire several years back, once a Brother always a Brother.

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As most of you know I left the U.S. a few years ago and moved to Ireland with my Irish wife based on some wrong information give to us by the U.S. Customs and Immigration. I gave up my whole life to move over here to sort out a very small immigration issue.

Since being over here I have had two daughters and both are a little bit sickly. My youngest, Lindsay, suffers from apnea which is a condition that causes her to stop spontaneous breathing. Frustratingly, the Irish medical teams can't seem to find out what is causing these episodes. I lost my job in May of 2008 and, as the economy is hopeless here, I haven't been able to find work since. I have been on disability as a result of depression because of the economic situation that surrounds me. As I haven't been able to work, I have become ridiculously behind in child support for my first daughter. My family is currently on welfare and we just can't seem to get ahead of the game.

Recently we received notice from U.S.C.I.S. that we can return home. While this is fantastic news to us, we are very concerned because we just don't have the money we need to get back home and get situated. We are gonna have to pay for flights x 4, baby seats, baby beds, anything to do with young kids, etc. We have a few hundred saved up but not the thousands we are going to need.

I know that times are really hard for most people right now, but I am begging all of you to make a donation of some sort for our cause to get home. This can be done in a few ways. We are asking for donations of Skymiles through Delta and any monetary contributions to go through Paypal or to an account set up by my father.

If you wish to contribute through Paypal, just click on the Send Money tab, down at the bottom click on Personal then click on the Gift option. Then just enter my email which is ebjarrell@gmail.com. If Paypal is the option you want to go with, then make sure you email me back with YOUR email address or the money will be lingering out there in limbo.

We really pray that all of you can make some sort of contribution. Just think, the money used for a couple of take out meals could be used to help get a family of four back where they belong.