Best Hero's Heroes

Texas Firefighters

Speaking of heroes, the hearts of Texans and Texas firefighters have opened for the firefighters of D.C. and especially of New York City, where hundreds of firefighters lost their lives in the collapse of the World Trade Center, after they responded to the emergency of the initial attacks on Sept. 11. Mike Higgins, director of service for the Texas State Firefighters Association announced Sept. 22 that the state union organization had raised more than $2 million for the "9-11 Fund," for the benefit of the injured firefighters and the deceased firefighters' families. But Higgins had to correct himself - San Antonio members were still counting another $700,000, and the state total continues to grow. "We're still counting big checks and dollar donations that keep coming in," said Higgins, "and I now estimate the total to be somewhere between $4 million and $6 million - because it's still coming in faster than we can count it." Scott Toupin, president of the Austin Association of Professional Firefighters, said that his members have raised more than $200,000, of more than $600,000 raised by firefighters in the Central Texas area. Care to raise the total? Bring cash or checks (made out to "The 9-11 Fund") to your local neighborhood fire station, visit the Web site at IAFF.org, or mail to Sec. Treas., IAFF, 1750 New York Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20006. You could be heroes, too.