Fire fighters retire after 3 decades of service
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Former Meridian Fire Chief Jeff White hands Russel Crawford a commerative display for his 33 years of service at the Meridian Fire Deparment two weeks ago. Mike Walker sits in plane clothes behind him who also reitired with 33 years of service in a celebration last week. Allen D. Fisher | Meridian Tribune
When recounting Meridian’s pillars of the community, very few could be mentioned in the same breath as Russel Crawford and Mike Walker, the two men who retired from the Meridian Volunteer Fire Department after serving more than three decades together.
“Very few people know that a lot of things that got done around was thanks to these two men.” said former Meridian Fire Chief Jeff White. “They have been the backbone of the department for more than 33 years and we’re certainly going to miss them. They’re our local legends.”
Russel started volunteering for the Meridian Fire Department in the early 90s, and is mostly known around as the ‘man who drove the tanker truck.’
Those years of driving the same tanker truck for 30 years saved him and fellow fire fighter 3 years ago. Crawford was headed to a call for a grass fire in the 13-speed tanker that was prone to stalling and almost drove into the fire himself.
“We came around a curve and there was a wall of fire. I was able to turn it around that was so close that it melted our boots,” Crawford said. “The tanker had a bad tendency to not restart if you stalled out.It got a little warm for sure, but we got out.”
When not saving the day, Crawford spends his day job in maintenance and bus driver for Meridian ISD, also for the past 30 years. Walker spent more than
Walker spent more than half his 33 years as an officer and 14 years as a fire chief and said he enjoyed every minute of it.
“A lot of things have changed in 33 years, when I first got on there were only four sets of bunker gear; it’s an emotional rollercoaster,” Walker said. “My mind says do this, but
“My mind says do this, but my body is saying, ‘No you don’t,’ so it’s time I listened.”
Walker said it’s a job that’s an emotional rollercoaster, but he has confidence in all the fire fighters that he’s helped train through the years.
“I’m going to miss the brotherhood,” Walker said. “I would jump into the fire with these guys yesterday, and I would do it again tomorrow.”
Walker won’t be far as the Meridian Pubic Works Director and is also in his 30th year there as well.