Current and retired police officers, paramedics, and firefighters have created an FMCA chapter for first responders.
By Skip Tate, Associate Editor
April 2021
Few people know what it’s like to be on the front lines of an emergency — to be the first to roll up to the scene of a crime, an accident, or a fire. Those who do know what it’s like automatically share a special bond, which is why a group of first responders and FMCA members in the Southeast decided to create the First Responders chapter. Who better to sit around a campfire and trade stories with than others experienced in dealing with emergencies on a daily basis?
“We have a unique career and can feel understood in this chapter,” said chapter vice president David Bieri. “Some stories you share; some you want to forget and not talk about. But there’s definitely a camaraderie among first responders. You become family.”
Members of FMCA’s new First Responders chapter gathered for their first official rally at Riverbend Campground in Hiawassee, Georgia, in October 2020.
The idea for the chapter began at FMCA’s 99th International Convention and RV Expo in Perry, Georgia, in March 2019. Stephanie Torres, a retired paramedic in Miami, Florida, who now lives in suburban Atlanta, put an announcement in the convention newsletter saying she wanted to form the group. David, a retired firefighter/paramedic from near Palm Beach, Florida, was the, well, first responder to the request, and the two of them set about creating the chapter.
The First Responders met in October 2019 at Coastal Georgia RV Resort, in Brunswick, to discuss creating the chapter and to elect officers. The group officially became a chapter in December 2019. They didn’t waste any time getting the chapter organized — or putting their skills to use.
At their first rally as an official chapter in February 2020, members assisted with three medical emergencies, including one that sent an attendee who hit her head to the hospital for stitches.
“We just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” David said.
Although COVID-19 has hampered recent rallies and get-togethers, it hasn’t dampened interest in the group, which now has nearly 60 members. Some are firefighters, some paramedics, some police officers.
David said he expects other RVers who have lived life on the front lines to react positively to the creation of the chapter and membership to grow quickly. Of course, how else would you expect first responders to react?
The chapter has two more rallies planned for 2021: Savannah, Georgia, in May, and Franklin, North Carolina, in October. Although the chapter was organized in the Southeast Area, first responders from throughout FMCA — working or retired — are welcome to join.
To learn more about the First Responders Chapter, visit the FMCA chapter website at FMCA.com or the chapter’s Facebook page.
For general information about FMCA chapters, contact the Chapter Services Department at (513) 474-3622 or (800) 543-3622; chapters@fmca.com.
If you would like your chapter to be featured in Chapter Spotlight, contact Family RVing associate editor Skip Tate, (800) 543-3622, ext. 212; state@fmca.com.