Fire Chief For A Day

For many people, seeing a fire truck in a normally quiet neighborhood can be a little frightening. But for Michael Peters, it's a great sight.

The Maumelle Fire Department is making Michael an honorary fire chief for a day. Inside his home, Michael gets to see his box full of fire gear and clothing.

Captain Eugene Stacy asks, ?You want to take a ride on the fire truck with us?"

Michael quickly asked, "Yeah, could I do that?"

Michael gets geared up and back outside he's getting ready to a ride. It's Michael?s 37th birthday and the day as a fireman is a special gift. As he gets in the fire engine he says, ?This will be my first time being a fireman, a chief fireman."

Michael is mentally challenged and has Cerebral Palsy. Just this month, he learned he has untreatable cancer and is only expected to live three months. While that news may slow some people down, it's not stopping Michael.

He says, "Yeah, I'd love to be a volunteer firefighter all my whole life. It's an experience to do this."

Once Michael?s ride is done he gets a round of applause and an offer he can't refuse.

Stacy says, ?If you ever want to come by the office you know where we are."

For Michael?s mom, Judy, the ten minute truck ride was a dream come true.

She says, ?That 10 minutes is like a lifetime of memories. We have scrapbook after scrapbook of Michael since day one and this will be one of the biggest highlights in that scrapbook I believe."

It was a highlight for the firemen as well.

Capt. Stacy says, "He had a grin from ear to year. We loved every minute of that. It's very fun to see him do that."

Michael says it was fun too. He says, ?It was a nice little truck and a nice little ride."

Michael is an Easter Seals client and volunteer. The organization help organized the ride along.