This link gets you to NASA Kennedy Space Center Firefighters. Talk about an amazing group of people! Roger worked at KSC for 42 years and would not even talk about retiring. (well, he might talk as if he was going to do it, be I knew his heart would not let him do it on his own) Before KSC, he served on Orlando Fire Department for 10 years, leaving only because of the draw of excitement on the space coast. To work 52 years as a firefighter is a pretty remarkable thing, we have learned.
The Fire Department has a tradition called Final Call. It can be chilling, and makes me cry every time I see this video. Roger's last shift when he was physically at KSC was on February 9. He was due to work again on February 12. On the net (networks, radios) dispatch called for him on shift, and he failed to answer. Well, just listen, the video is only about 1 minute long.
The plan is to do this again at the service at Woodlawn. It may turn out to be a good thing that I heard it for the first time in advance.
When they called Asst. Chief Roger Tome for the Final time at KSC, he was already on call in Heaven. We are thankful that he left us without pain or illness. A lot of firefighters left this earthly existence in far more tragic ways. Called to Serve. Yes. He was and he did it well.
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