By AMY JONES / Associate Editor

When Chris Goodwin left his house Feb. 29 to head to Shelby County High School, it must have seemed like any other Wednesday. Of course, it wasn’t.

While driving, Goodwin hit a slick spot in the road, which sent him careening into a tree. His injuries that day, thankfully, didn’t lead to his death; however, they did necessitate the amputation of his left leg below the knee.

Now, five months later, Goodwin is back on his feet. In fact, he’s been back on his feet for months now, literally — he walked across the stage at graduation to raucous cheers and a standing ovation.

His strength stands as an inspiration to those around him — his family members, friends and loved ones — and those who don’t even know him, who have only read about him through the pages of our paper or heard about him through Facebook, Twitter or other social media.

He is also an inspiration to the Fourmile Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. Fourmile was the first rescue personnel group on the scene of Goodwin’s accident. Fourmile did not have the required equipment to extract Goodwin from his vehicle and had to call the Wilsonville Fire Department to bring its equipment.

On Feb. 29, Fourmile Fire, Wilsonville Fire, Southeast Shelby Rescue, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Regional Paramedical Services worked together to save Goodwin’s life, showcasing the value of mutual aid agreements for local fire departments.

On July 28, Goodwin was back with the Fourmile Fire Department — this time for a much happier occasion. He christened the department’s new tanker truck and admired its new extrication equipment, including rescue tools, stabilization equipment and a portable power unit.

Department officials made extrication equipment a priority after Goodwin’s accident, and the community raised more than $24,000 to help buy the new tanker truck. I’m glad to see the community and department work together to purchase such essential equipment.

I’m also glad that Chris Goodwin lived to walk again, and that the Fourmile Fire Department is now better prepared to help others who find themselves in the same situation.

Amy Jones is the associate editor for the Shelby County Reporter. She can be reached at 669-3131 ext. 30 or by email at amy.jones@shelbycountyreporter.com.