A warm heart on a cold day

A warm heart on a cold day

WMFD Lt. buys space heater for local man in need

news@theeveningtimes.com

It was a snow day in West Memphis. Kids got the day off from school. The West Memphis Fire Department posted pictures of its fire truck with snow chains on the tires in the morning.

The caption was “ready to roll.” But, proving that it’s not all about the fires, the next picture on Facebook was of an act of kindness.

The picture and the story went viral. From the small beginning of 130 likes on Facebook, Mid-South television stations repeated the story and it spread nationally garnering atta-boy’s from fellow fighters across the country. It was a heart warming story on a bitter day in the Wonder City.

The news went coast to coast and before long even the Los Angeles Fire Department had tweeted kudos to Lt. Mike Nelson.

Nelson was pictured buying a man a space heater at a dollar store on a day when the high temperature did not peek over 20 degrees, a bitter cold day around here.

Everyone who hangs around the fire house knows Doris Gately for her kindness and great cakes for special occasions. Her comment put the icing on the kindness she saw extended saying, “Above and beyond the call of duty.”

A little while later the story was picked up by WMC-TV Channel 5, and the good news spread like wild fire. The man was asking for money outside Dollar General according to Nelson.

“He just said, ‘Can you help me out with some money?’ I need a heater,” said Nelson.

Then his fellow fire fighters snuck a photo from behind the men at the cash register during the good deed.

Nelson had been caught on camera in the act; following the golden rule, doing unto another as you’d like done for yourself. It warmed hearts all over the nation.

By John Rech