On East County Road 6450, the Brewer family woke up to their house on fire at about 9 a.m. Saturday morning.
“I have a hard time sleeping,” homeowner Teressa Brewer said. “I relive this in my dreams. I woke up to the fire.”
Brewer, her mother, and stepfather were able to escape the fire with their pets safely. However, she said there could have been less damage if the 911 operator didn’t get their address wrong.
“Had 911 given the right address this wouldn’t be the way it is now,” Brewer said.
The Lubbock County Sheriff Department responded to this call. Officials in their office said they don’t have enough information about this claim to make a comment at this time.
Although Brewer describes frustration with the 911 operation center, she said she is appreciate of the help that did arrive.
“I’m very thankful to them,” Brewer said. “So it’s not their fault. It was the fault of 911 giving the wrong address.”
Roosevelt, Idalou,and Buffalo Spring Lake fire departments along with the Lubbock Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene on Saturday.
Idalou Fire Chief Russ Perkins said they only report to the cases they are called upon.
“Outside in the City of Lubbock are all volunteer fire departments,” Perkins said. “So it’s a matter of who’s available to respond, where they’re at, and what’s available at the time.”
Because these fire departments are volunteer-based, Perkins said there are times when it is more difficult to get enough volunteers.
“You’ve got folks who work at banks, some are farmers, some work in other industries in town and they’re not sitting at the station,” Perkins said.
He added that their fire department also has to bring additional resources, like water tanks, since some of their cases are too far from the city’s resources.
“Rain, shine, snow, whenever, it’s what you sign up to do,” Perkins said. “That’s what we do.”
Perkins said they are always looking for more volunteers. Anyone interested does not need experience to apply either. He said to contact the City of Idalou for the application information.
The Brewer family is also asking for help in their recovery.
“I don’t normally ask for help but I ‘m asking for help,” Perkins said.
Perkins said they are in need of clothing and resources to repair their barn still on the property. Anyone interested in helping can contact newsweb@everythinglubbock.com or Brewer on her Facebook here.
