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Wednesday, November 21, 2007

The Bennington House got the Certificate of Occupancy

My...Our...Jeremy's house has received the Certificate of Occupancy. This morning, Jeremy met with the building official out in Eagle Rock in Botetourt (Bot - it - tot) County and successfully got the CO. Rumors are coming in on what he had to do to get the CO and they mimic the tactics he used to get promoted...just kidding. Hell he is probably half drunk by now...kidding again.

There are many people who need to be thanked for helping out with the house. This is from me off the top of my head, so if I forget about anyone take it up with the Rod.

I guess we should all thank Doug Hurd for building the house. Doug was kinda like the crew who worked behind the scenes while Bob Vila (Jeremy) was on camera (sarcasm). Actually, Doug is a contractor and assisted Jeremy in building the house to specifications. His expertise and anal retentiveness kept the roof on the house that Jeremy built mostly with his blood and ours.

All kidding aside, Jeremy put a lot of time and hard work into that house, as did many of us. There are still cosmetic projects which need to be completed. But hopefully we will get his family moved in soon.

Here is a list of the firefighters who helped in some way or another in no particular order. Kelcey Branch, Chuck Sharp, Scott Mutter, Scott Boone, Scott Bradford, Todd Stone, Willie Wines Jr., Craig Sellers, Matt Dewhirst, Lynwood English, Sam Stump, Chris Elmore, Matt Wheeling, Phil Dillon, Jeff Beckner, Travis Meador, Brian Wray, David Wray, Nathan Foutz, John Burrows, Rob Joiner, Tim Cady, Daniel Murphy, Jeff Oliver, Travis Simmons, Chris Franklin, Tom Mougin, Jeff East, Eric Mulford, Dale Barker, Greg Fulton, Tim Brown, and whoever else I missed. If you leave a comment with names I will update it.

I also want to thank another firefighter. Dana Potter is a firefighter with Logan International Airport up in Boston. He called me after the initial S.O.S. for help for Jeremy's house was posted on the blog. Apparently, his parents live down here in the Roanoke area and he just happened to come across the blog. He read about Jeremy's predicament and called me to offer his help. I was amazed that a firefighter from Boston wanted to help out on his vacation, but he did. Dana then visited us at Station 13 the following day and sent us some t-shirts when he got back. I always like talking to a visiting firefighter, but this one takes the cake. Thanks so much for your help Dana.
Pictured from right to left are: David Bishop, Jeremy Bennington, Willie Wines Jr., and Dana Potter.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

What great news!! Really happy for ya Rod. cs

Anonymous said...

Sad to see that there arent really any rookies on the list of folks who helped?? Guess they have a lot to learn about "Brotherhood".

Anonymous said...

I am 100% for brotherhood and helping out another firefighter but come on.....he had 3 years to build it. Maybe if he hadn't gone with such an big extravagant house thats nicer than anything that I would hve built then maybe he could have done it quicker. Ever think that just maybe he could have put up a simpler house with less fancyness in a lot less time....

Anonymous said...

His choice not yours jackass. You want him to deminish his dreams because you did? We never judge another mans choices we just help when they need it. And no I wasn't able to help, I was there in spirit for JRod.

Anonymous said...

This comment is geared toward the rookie comment. Let's do a little math. There's 250(a guess) personnell in this department. 9 rookies in company. Rhett named 32names on the list plus himself and Hurd. 250-43=207. Wow, 207 non-rookies not on the list and you're pickin' on the new guys.

Anonymous said...

i agree with the third post there....must be nice to build a huge house for half the price by getting brother firefighters to do all the labor for free. had he been in serious need i would have been there....but i wasnt going to be free labor because he didnt wnt to pay for contractors

Anonymous said...

207 people that didnt help and you are picking on the new rookies? why? the new rookies are just like the rest of us they thought it was not a worthy cause to support

Anonymous said...

Look, if you helped out great, if you didnt for what ever reason that fine too, but why does this have to turn in to a bitch & moan post. I went because i would like to think that if i needed some help, or got in over my head, some of you guys might give me a hand too. Be happy for the guy that he finished his house !!

Anonymous said...

Not a worthy cause to support?? Are you kidding me?? Some of you people amaze me. First off if you didn't help for what ever reason, dont comment on the topic. Second off, I cant think of a better reason for our Brotherhood/Union to come together and help another brother...in NEED. We've not had the opportunity to come together and do something worth while like this since the Habitat build...and this guy is one of OURS!! Not a worthy cause to support?? JRod was getting ready to LOOSE all that he had worked on for 2 years. Forclosure...taking it from him if he didnt meet the deadline. What better reason to come together and help someone out? He knows he bit off more than he could chew, and he asked for help instead of rolling over and giving up. And we helped him, thats what firefighters do for each other. Any help was welcome, rookies too. I know its hard to run help some one on your day off that you dont even know, but the thing is, Jeremy would do it for ANY of us, including the ones of you talking shit about him behind an anonymous screen name. If you cant say something positive towards the guy and the successful completion of his project, then just dont say anything. Post #8 is exactly right.
C Sharp

Anonymous said...

Chuck is dead on with his post. I hope that if I were ever in the same type of predicament, that someone would be willing to give me a hand. If you didn't help out so be it. If you did help, I know that Jeremy is extremely grateful. Craig Sellers.

Anonymous said...

Amen on that!! Todd, Willie, Whacha think??

Anonymous said...

I agree, if you helped, great. If you didnt, keep your negative feedback and excuses to yourself. Jeremy knows who he can count on.

Anonymous said...

lets remember that the negative commenting started on the 2nd post, which appears to be from someone who was there, not from someone who wasn't there

Anonymous said...

post 13 is right the negattives started with someone who was there....if you helped great....if you didnt then thats fine too its your choice

Anonymous said...

Who cares who was there or not, the man got his CO, so cant we all just be happy. You either helped or didnt so you know which you are so take pride in it if you were there, and maybe next time someone needs help those that were not able to help will step up.

Anonymous said...

I was there in the beginning and worked with my true brothers. Ihe guys I know,the ones I can count on in a pinch. We worked for free sure and do I resent that? Hell no, I hope that if I ever need my friends to help that they will do the same for me. For those of you who want to bitch and destroy everything positive in this world. Think about this, maybe you are just jealous that J-Rod has friends that he can count on and you don't!!! Signed J.Hodgin

Anonymous said...

Jeremy Bennington would do anything for anyone in this department and everyone knows that.
Therefore I'd like to know what kind of an A**hole it takes to post comments like some of these! It wouldn't matter if he Jeremy buiding a shack on a hillside or the Taj Mahal on the side of Mill Mountain, the man was at risk of losing everything he and his family had worked and dreamed towards and needed some help. And a few of us who still know the meaning of brotherhood stepped in to help him out. VOLUNTARILY! Those of you who posted these negative BS comments about him or his house should first of all be a man and sign your names to it and secondly think to yourselves "if I needed some help would anyone come and help me out?" Chances are they probably would even though based on your attitudes you probably don't deserve it! That is what brotherhood is, putting your feelings aside and helping a man out when he is in need. Lastly good job to everyone who helped out in some way, and congrats to you Rod on your new house. C. Franklin

Anonymous said...

Congrats Rod on your home. I'm sorry I was not able to come out and help. The time I was coming was when I got hit up side the head with the Heck incident. However I would like to help out if there is anything else needing to be done, just let me know.

Bo

Anonymous said...

First off, I find it hard to believe that some of my brothers are talking trash about me. First I thought, maybe someone from admin is doing it to stir the pot, or maybe an ex- employee is making posts just to get thier kicks. No matter, because I really don't give a shit what anyone thinks. I just want to clear up a few misconceptions. First off, I only spent two yeasrs building it, not three, second, my house is not "huge" or "extravagant". It is 2000 square feet, a fairly normal size, NOT "huge" Poster#2 could not have been there, because anyone who has been there wll tell you that it is NOT extravagant. It is a simple log home built on a cliff with no yard. I don't live in a fancy subdivision, I don't have prewired stereo surrond sound ib every room. I have dreamed of this since I was 10 yeasr old, and decided if I didn't do it now I would never get it done. I went for my dream. I never intended to have "free labor" "because I didn't want to pay contractors." I couldn't afford to pay contactors becayuse I work at the same place you do! If the bank would have given me another year, I would have done it all myself. The bank was within reach of filing foreclosure on me. How would you like to be staring in the face of financial ruin and lose 2 years of the hardest work you had ever done? I only reached out to my brothers when I was in DIRE NEED. They stepped up and I am more grateful than anyone will ever know. If you want to learn something about brotherhood, go to Boston and talk to Dana Potter, A man i had never met, who lives several states away, came to my house to help me just because he wanted to help a brother. That is what the fire service is about. Not back stabbing and making negative comments about things you don't know anything about. Compton is building ahouse, and he paged out for help with an offer to pay people, and he hardly got any help. Why? You bitch about "free Labor" but someone offers to pay and still gets no response? There's something wrong wth that. In closing I want to say if you don't like it or me then I have two classic J-ROD words for you: FUCK OFF!
SIGNED,
JEREMY BENNINGTON

Anonymous said...

Thats beautiful Rod...so heartfelt!! :) cs