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Barbecue
A barbecue will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Grace Baptist Church in Mount Holly.
The event will benefit Zack Osborne, the 6-year-old son of Lorrie Stilwell and Jonathan Osborne, who is fighting leukemia.
Barbecue plates or three sandwiches are $8, and chicken plates are $7. Call Kelly at (704)502-7655 or Lorrie at (704)922-0901 for details.
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Close bunch provides valuable service
By THOMAS LARK
- Thu, May 22, 2008
BELMONT—“We’re a close family.”
That’s how Mount Holly native Lee Boswell describes the familial ties that bind life-saving personnel across America. The chief of the South Point Lifesaving Crew since January, Boswell said last week that he relishes the challenges of his job and is gratified by making a real difference in the lives of others.
“I’m on call, 24 hours a day,” he said, taking a break at the SPLSC station. “It’s something you get used to. If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t do it.”
Boswell’s crew of 40 includes basic emergency medical technicians and paramedics—a combination of paid staffers and volunteers. Two ambulances and a crash truck serve the crew.
Days can be long and hectic for the five-year veteran of lifesaving work.
“See these?” he asked, grinning as he pulled two cellular phones from his belt. “I believe in mobile management. I do a lot of work from the road.”
He then reached for his first responder’s alert radio.
“You never know when this box is going to chirp off,” Boswell observed. “You may be sitting here four or five hours, and then all hell breaks loose. You never know what’s going to run down the pike. You just never know. I have a newfound respect for my fellow chiefs and the responsibilities they have.”
The SPLSC has recently been going through a bit of revamping to improve its strength, Boswell noted.
“This whole area is booming,” he remarked, adding this means an increase in population, businesses, and construction and, with all that, many more calls for service.
Right now, the crew may see as many as 5,000 to 6,000 calls a year.
“We have a huge mutual-aid network,” Boswell said of collaboration with other agencies.
While basically covering the South Point Township, his crew’s area of service extends from the South Carolina state line all the way to YMCA Road, just over I-85. Vehicular crashes with personal injuries (known in the first responder parlance as “1050-PIs”) account for about a third of the crew’s calls for service. Auxiliary volunteer Renee Ikerd said general sickness and such traumatic events as falling injuries also make up a big part of her colleagues’ calls.
Boswell said his agency, in existence now for almost 40 years, benefits from a supportive board and an appreciative community. He listed Belmont Fire Department Chief George “Buck” Altice as among those who sing its praises.
“We get a lot of favorable response from them,” said Boswell, adding of his agency’s longevity, “We’re still here, and we’re not going anywhere.”
But like most lifesaving crews, South Point could always use more help.
“We’d love to have more volunteers,” said Ikerd.
“We can always use more EMTs,” Boswell agreed. “We’re always looking for fresh faces.”
Another method of help is holding fund-raising events. One coming up May 31 will involve local motorcyclists participating in a poker run, beginning at Carolina Harley-Davidson in Gastonia.
Want to help the South Point Lifesaving Crew? Call (704)825-3743 or send an e-mail to splsc700@aol.com.
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