Wellington Fire's newest JR. A firefighter sets hearts on fire

On May 26, around 8:40 p.m., Wellington City firefighters were dispatched to a fire in a house. Upon arrival, firefighters Cody Austin, Brandi Davis, Anthony Powell and Will Ehler were able to quickly access the situation and confirm that the fire had been extinguished by the homeowners.

However, it was clear their work wasn't quite done, as they met an enthusiastic and smiling 4-year-old Cynthia Rampa.

Rampa said firefighters Austin and Davis spent about an hour with his daughter, showing her the inside of the fire truck and all the flashing lights. They both talked to him about fire safety and showed him how firefighters use their trucks to put out fires. Austin and Davis realized they no longer had a junior firefighter badge and invited Rampa and her daughter to come to the fire station the following Tuesday to make sure she got her badge.

Rampa and his future junior firefighter were greeted by Fire Chief Matt Perea, Deputy Chief Ed Chavez, Firefighter Davis, Austin and Powell who were awaiting their visit. However, the girl earned much more than just a junior firefighter badge.

Rampa said Perea and Davis then took his daughter to get candy and pick out a stuffed animal. Once she found one she liked, she was able to try on one of their jackets and get in the fire truck to honk the horn and turn on the lights.

“The joy that comes to our fire station from having children visit is what makes this job worth it,” as stated on the Wellington City Fire Department Facebook page.

Rampa was grateful for their extraordinary visit.

“They went out of their way just to make my daughter happy. I think a lot of us forget to have faith in our community and it's moments like this that have reminded me how amazing our community is! My daughter currently wants to become a firefighter. They have done more than they think. My daughter has seen 2 fire trucks since Tuesday and she was cheering for them, jumping, screaming, waving and saying, “Mom, there's my friends with his Jr.” badge. She said, 'I'll help like they help me, eh mom?'

Rampa explained, “'Yes, baby. That's right! They are your friends and they will always help you. Which helped to have an open conversation about if she's having issues and if I'm not there. I owe them a huge thank you!

The Rampa girl not only received her junior firefighter badge, but also an unforgettable experience, thanks to firefighters from the Wellington City Fire Department.