Volunteer fire chief dedicates more than three decades to serving community

TROY, Texas - This week’s Be Remarkable takes us out to Troy where a volunteer fire chief has dedicated more than three decades of his life to serving his community.

“I’ve lived here forever and I’ve seen all the things he has done, and there have been occasions 2 or 3 times where an ambulance had to come to my house, and he was always there. You can depend on him.”

Heraldine Earley is a force of nature and has seen this week’s winner, Jimmy Jackson, in action since he was a, as she puts it, “youngster”, and she speaks the truth.

“I started in 1976 when I was a sophomore in high school, 16 years old. Back then, you could leave school to go to a call.”, Jimmy Jackson

Heraldine says as Jimmy grew to the role of chief he even took money out of his own pocket sometimes to help people he served on volunteer fire calls. Jimmy is the last person to step up and take credit.

He’s actually passed the torch to his son Justin, who now oversees the department’s efforts.

The Troy Volunteer Fire Department covers 128 square miles in northern Bell County, including 3 major highways, and Jim Jackson almost always knows what’s happening there, but he didn’t know he was being honored with the Be Remarkable Award.

“Do you know what’s happening?”, Danny Daniel, Daniel Stark Injury Lawyers

“No”, Jimmy

“You don’t?”

But apparently half of Troy knew about the surprise and the turn-out spoke volumes about the community’s strong ties and Jackson’s efforts over 30 years to keep them together.

If you know a “Remarkable Person”, nominate them at kwtx.com/beremarkable