Rex Burnett begins each shift at Dallas Fire-Rescue Station No. 17 with a three-mile run on the treadmill or around the block.
Burnett, who’s been with the fire department for 37 years, is a driver engineer at the Lakewood Fire Station.
“Best decision I made in my whole life, besides marrying my wife,” he says.
Station No. 17, established in 1970 at the corner of Belmont Avenue and Skillman Street, responds to calls in an area roughly bounded by SMU Boulevard, the west side of White Rock Lake, Interstate 30 and Henderson Avenue. The firefighters’ life-saving acts are often publicized, but their personalities and mundane responsibilities at the station aren’t. Perhaps it’s time to get to know a few of the people who help protect East Dallas.
Rex Burnett. Photo by Jessica Turner.
People like Burnett, for example, who’s been at the Lakewood Fire Station for eight years. After decades on the job, he knows his way around the city.
It’s a slower station compared to others, Burnett says. The Lakewood firefighters typically respond to seven to 10 calls in a 24-hour shift, but when Burnett was working at a station in Deep Ellum, 30 runs in a shift was normal.
Eight firefighters are on duty during the day. They start with breakfast, and then they inspect and clean the apparatuses. After ensuring their equipment is ready, they fill their time between calls with a variety of activities.
Just as family members have chores around the house, the Lakewood firefighters have a different assignment each day — washing windows, cleaning the bathroom or sanitizing the kitchen, for example. After a 24-hour shift, they get 48 hours off.
Stephen Robinson, who has been at the Lakewood station for 10 of his 18 years on the job, cooks for the group. He shops for groceries, too, but all firefighters split the bill. They typically have themed-meal days, like Taco Tuesday and Fish Friday, and they eat together.
“I put a little effort into it and make it a little better than what everybody else cooks,” says Robinson, who became a firefighter to have a purposeful career and make a difference in the world. “You can only have spaghetti and lasagna, hamburgers so many times.”
Aside from tidying up the space, the firefighters use down time to study for promotions or do job-related exercises, such as elevator training, to prepare for different situations.
Spending so much time together, whether it’s hanging out around the station or working together to save lives, means the firefighters have created strong bonds.
“This is our family for a third of our life, so we get to hang out with them for 24 hours,” says Clay Cook, who has been a firefighter for 23 years, including four years at the Lakewood station. “It’s just family here, extended family.”
The firefighters at Station No. 17 have also formed a deep connection to our neighborhood. On their logo, printed on their T-shirts and the back of the fire engine, there’s a drawing of the Lakewood Theater tower.
“Our doors are open anytime,” Burnett says. “Kids come by. They look at the apparatuses. We basically give them a show-and-tell. We’re in the Fourth of July parade; that’s a big hit every year.”
The firefighters say they’re thankful for the kindness of the neighborhood. They love it when people stop by to talk or drop off treats. One resident even donated a set of lounge chairs for the station’s living room.
“This is a great neighborhood,” Burnett says. “The people really treat us good, treat us right.”
