Veteran firefighter of 25 years, Rob Irons, was named a 2019 Firefighter of the Year by United Fire last month for his part in saving a man who was on the edge of suicide.
But this was not just any man.
He was a brother firefighter from the Phoenix area who was camping in the White Mountains with his 5-year-old son.
Irons said the father and his son had been based near Big Lake for a few days when the man just showed up at the station in Greer with his son on June 5, while Greer firefighters were preparing their engines and other trucks for use.
“He just brought his son in that afternoon and said, ‘Take good care of him.’ and walked out,” Irons said.
Irons said the man from the Valley had obviously been drinking heavily as he walked out of the station headed for his SUV in the parking lot.