Months earlier, while off duty, Holly had stopped to help her change a flat tire. This time, the ESD 2 team was once again there in a moment of need.
TYLER, Texas — A routine emergency call in Smith County turned into something much more meaningful when a homeowner recognized one of the firefighters who came to her aid.
Firefighters with Smith County Emergency Services District 2 responded Saturday morning to a report of sparks coming from an electrical outlet at a home in the area. Crews arrived to find light haze inside but quickly brought the situation under control.
Once the scene was safe, homeowner Felicia Polk realized she had met one of the responders before: Lieutenant David Holly, months earlier, when he stopped to help her change a flat tire while off duty.
“I didn’t know if she had the means to change it or not, so I lended her a hand,” Holly recalled.
The two shared a moment of recognition that quickly turned emotional. Firefighter Chris Snow joined them in prayer, asking for comfort and strength for Polk and her family.
“She called us her angels,” Snow said. “I just felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to pray in the moment for her.”
Snow said the act of prayer was also inspired by a friend who had recently suffered a loss. “Prayers to a special brother,” he said. “He lost his newborn, and in a Facebook post, he put, ‘love like Susie Bell.’ That really helped motivate today’s actions.”
For Polk, who was marking five years since her mother’s passing, the moment carried deep personal meaning.
“They gave me hope,” she said. “And you always want people to give you hope, no matter where we’re from.”