Brownwood Fire Department honored longtime volunteer Walter Banks as an honorary firefighter at Tuesday’s meeting of the Brownwood City Council.
City Councilman Draco Miller announced Banks as a citizen who has been in Brownwood and has dedicated himself to doing work that he loves doing.
Miller stated he has known Banks and his family all of his life. He asked Fire Chief Del Albright if the city could honor Banks for his volunteer work at the fire department. Banks has also been helping local funeral homes but his passion is for the fire department.
“I think that it is time to honor this guy right here. He is such a loving guy, such a caring guy and does what he does because he loves the fire department,” explained Miller.
According to Chief Albright, Banks was one of the first to welcome him when he first came to Brownwood in 2006.
“It didn’t take me long to get to know Walter. In fact he was one of the first ones to welcome me as I walked in the door,” said Albright. “I quickly learned that he was a really big Brownwood Lions fan, a major one.”
Albright then invited Dallas Huston to come and say a few words about Banks.
“When I showed up at the radio station, Walter showed up, and he has been with me every step of the way. He can set up the equipment better than I can. He has been a special friend for a whole lot of years,” Huston said. I put a whole lot of miles in a whole lot of vehicles, and about 90% of the time, Walter has been with me. He has been my sidekick for over 50 years and absolutely one of the best friends I have. If you knew him as well as I do, he’d be one of your best friends as well. He is a very, very special man, and one of the very special people in my life and I am so thankful he grew up and stayed in Brownwood, Texas.”
Albright then continued remarking about Bank’s service to the fire department.
“When you join the Brownwood Fire Department, you join with this man. He has been around, coming to the fire station, and has brought up generations of firemen. He has been very beneficial, dedicated member of our family,” Albright explained. “He epitomizes the traditions of our service at the fire department, he is community minded, being concerned about the funeral homes, helping out with the Brownwood Lions and with the equipment at KOXE. Anything we ask for, he will do. When we come back from fires he has water ready for us.”
Chief Albright explained how Walter takes an active role in the fire station, even after hours.
“He knows the (dispatch) tones better than I do, he has a scanner and that is his lifeline. We have a protocol on any major incident, dispatch calls me if it is after hours or on the weekends. I’d say about 75% of the time Walter beats dispatch in calling me. He’ll wake me up in the middle of the night and say, ‘We have a fire. Are you coming?,’” Albright stated. “For that dedication, we want to show that we really appreciate him, this day, I am going to make Walter an honorary firefighter.” Albright presented a fire department badge to Banks that states “Honorary Member.”
Mayor Stephen Haynes also thanked Banks for the many hours he volunteers for the city.
