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Firefighters adopt a friend
Farmers Branch man with Down's syndrome has become a flag-raising
fixture at fire station
By Walter Borges
FARMERS BRANCH - For the last 12 years, Ron Ford has held a
seven-day-a-week job, but when he misses a day he hears about it from his
colleagues.
Every day between 5 and 6 a.m., the short, stout 37-year-old Ford - who has
Down's syndrome - rides his bicycle from his home on Bee Street to the Farmers
Branch Main Fire Station three blocks away and hoists the national, state and
city flags.
About 5 p.m., Ford returns to lower the flags, fold them and
take them home for safekeeping.
"On the rare occasions he fails to appear, we get pretty
worried about him," said firefighter Douglas Redmon. "We think he might be sick
and someone usually goes to check on him."
For Redmon and 50 other firefighters in Farmers Branch, Ford
is a colleague they expect to see every time they work a shift.
No one remembers exactly when Ford - whose congenital disease
is characterized by mental deficiency - first started hanging around the
station, but he has been an unofficial member of the Fire Department for about
15 years.
"When he first came here, it was thought he would live to be
about 25 or 26," Fire Chief Jack Dyer said. "After he passed that, the doctors
said it was probably due to him having something to do."
Dyer said firefighter Newland Clements, who died several
years ago, was responsible for getting Ford involved with the department.
"Clem used to sit out on the front porch and do his
work so he could watch the world go by," Dyer said. "He saw Ron sitting across
the street every day, so he started talking to him."
Before long, Ford was hanging out with the firefighters, who
bought him clothes and shoes and let him share their meals. Soon the fire
fighters were pitching in to buy Ford a bicycle every year so he could get
around town.
Although Ford can't ride fire trucks to fires because of city
insurance considerations, he sometimes manages to catch up with his friends,
"but only if the fire is within biking distance," Lt. Ed Richardson said.
"The flag stuff got serious about a dozen years ago, " Redmon
said. "Now he's a fixture in th city as much as this station is."
About 10 years ago, city officials recognized Ford's
contribution and provided him with a set of flags to fly at the house he shares
with his 88-year-old father and his brother. Several years later, the Kiwanis
Club gave Ford an award for patriotism.
Now Ford wears the dark blue trousers and light blue shirt of
the department uniform. His name tag reads "Capt. Ford," citing his honorary
title.
"He's in charge here." said Capt. Mike Lafon. "He's got more
seniority than me."
Driver Jerry McCutcheon said Ford attends all of the
department's parties and outings.
"We've taken him fishing at Toledo Bend Reservoir and
he played with us in a gold tournament," McCutcheon said as he wrestled with the
muscular Ford.
"He kids around a lot and sometimes gets angry. We put his
bicycle up the flagpole several years ago and he didn't like that."
McCutcheon said Ford never misses raising or lowering the
flags, except when he and his friends go dancing on Friday nights.
"He's got some physical problems and he's slowing down a
bit," said Richardson, who then asked Ford how big a fish he caught on their
last expedition.
When Ford placed his fingers 2 inches apart, Richardson and
the other firefighters grinned.
"That's another of his problems - he doesn't lie," Richardson
said. |
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