By DAVID SWEARINGEN
TheFlashToday.com
EDITOR’S NOTE: Residents of Erath County are very fortunate to have many men and women who make living here safe, many of whom are volunteers. They are Hometown Heroes! These people keep us safe and we owe them our thanks and our respect. THANK YOU!
ERATH COUNTY (March 3, 2017) – This week, The Flash Today would like to recognize Chris Brooks as a Hometown Hero. Brooks is the Coordinator and Chief at the Erath County Fire Rescue located in Stephenville and serves the entire county as well as mutual aid for surrounding counties. He is also a certified EMT.
Brooks was born in Abilene on March 4, 1976, to parents are Danny and Ann Davenport. He has a sister who lives in Austin. Brooks attended Abilene High for the first three years of high school. He then moved to Stephenville and spent his senior year at SHS where he graduated in 1994. Brooks is married to Angela and together they have three children: Joshua (13), Katelyn (11) and Lauren (10).
Before becoming a full-time firefighter, Brooks worked in the auto parts business for several years. He worked for Carquest in Stephenville from 1995-2000 before transferring to NAPA Auto Parts in Burnet where he worked from 2000 to 2007. He would then transfer to the Stephenville NAPA Auto Parts store and work there from 2007 to 2013. In September 2013, he began working at Erath County Fire Rescue where he remains today.
Brooks received his firefighting training while working in the various volunteer fire departments before becoming a paid firefighter in 2013. He worked for the Stephenville Volunteer Fire Department in the late 1990’s, the Burnet Volunteer Fire Dept. from 2003-2007, the Oakdale Volunteer Fire Dept. for a short time in 2007 before volunteering with the Erath County Fire Rescue from late 2007 until Sept. 2013 when he became a paid firefighter with Erath County.
“Helping people and trying to make a difference in their lives is probably my favorite part of the job,” Brooks said. “I think that’s the way basically all of the firefighters at Erath County feel.”
When he is not busy fighting fires and his other firefighter duties, Brooks likes to spend his time watching his kids compete in sports and he also enjoys woodworking. He makes crosses, picture frames and furniture.
Brooks is a proud member of the Erath County Firefighters Association and he said this organization helps to assure all the various area departments are on the same page when it comes to protecting the public. He said the Erath County Fire Rescue is hosting a One-Day Area Fire School on April 22.
“If it wasn’t for this department and the way it is designed and the way it operates, I would not be where I am at today,” said Brooks. “I’m grateful for this department, the folks who support us and the guys I work beside every day.”
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