East Ridge firefighter Travis Ezell approaches a car at McDonald’s, Friday morning, as the department helped out in the “Day of Change” benefit for the Ronald McDonald House.

The East Ridge Fire Department set up shop in the parking lot of McDonald’s on Ringgold Road Friday morning and helped raise money for local Ronald McDonald House Charities.

With engine No. 1 broadside to the highway, firefighters raised copies of the Chattanooga Times Free Press over their heads and asked for people entering the parking lot to contribute what they could to help the Ronald McDonald House. In exchange they would get an edition of the TFP hot off the press.

Billed as “Day of Change,” the ERFD teamed with the Times Free Press to raise money. Anyone who bought a newspaper for more than a quarter would have the extra money go to the Ronald McDonald House.

Fire Marshal Kenny Custer said that the ERFD has participated in the effort over the years. By this afternoon Custer should have the amount of money collected at the Ringgold Road location.

Of course, in the middle of the fundraising effort, duty called. The firefighters were dispatched to an automatic fire alarm call in the 3300 block of Ringgold Road. The newspapers and the aprons used to hold the donations were quickly put aside and the men scrambled to Engine 1 and several support vehicles and off they went with sirens screaming and emergency lights activated.

All in a day’s work for these guys.

Custer went and got a handheld radio to monitor the fire alarm call and went back to hawking papers for the cause. 

East Ridge firefighters respond to a vehicle that is not ablaze, Friday morning, to solicit donations for the Ronald McDonald House during the “Day of Change” event.