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When local fire departments travel to elementary schools for assemblies on fire prevention, the goal is to help the students understand the basics of fire safety. Stop, drop and roll and belly crawls are a common exercise, and even seeing what a firefighter looks like in all of their gear can help reduce anxiety for young children.
But when the Homestead Volunteer Department came to Barrett Elementary for its annual assembly, volunteer firefighter Tim Eads had an extra goal in mind. Tim is a high school student in the Steel Valley Cyber Academy and he has hearing loss.
When his hearing loss support teacher told him that there was a Barrett student who also had hearing loss, Tim reached out to Barrett counselor Alyson Fisher with a request to make sure the student was at the front of the assembly. It was there that Tim and Derrick Arrington first connected.
“I thought it was very cool because I was the first one in this school to have hearing loss,” Tim said. “So to see somebody else go through the same thing I have, I just wanted to meet him and make sure he was good."
Derrick said he was "shocked" at meeting Tim, but he felt good that someone wanted to help.
Tim’s help extended beyond meeting at the assembly. He arranged for Derrick to get an alarm clock that shakes the bed when it goes off. Individuals with hearing loss can miss standard alarms or even a family member attempting waking them up.
“It’s not that hard, but it’s kind of hard,” Derrick said of waking up on time. “I haven’t used it yet, but now I’m preparing to use it so I can actually wake up on time.”
Tim’s father, who is also named Tim, is chief at the Homestead Volunteer Fire Department. He sees families in need on a daily basis. He also recalls the challenges – and the expenses – his family dealt with in getting his son the proper resources.
“We’re in a depressed community. It’s hard. I fought for Tim,” the elder Eads said. “It took me years to fight for what Tim had, and I don’t want to see anybody struggle. I have pictures of his first set of hearing aids. I signed the paper for how much they were going to cost. I know what that price tag is and it is hard.”
The Eads’ are also looking at getting Derrick a special smoke detector designed for those with hearing loss. Smoke detectors are the first layer of prevention in fire safety, and the chief said the department works with the Red Cross to install detectors for anyone who needs them in the community.
In the meantime, his son plans to stay in touch with Derrick and offer a helping hand whenever he needs one.
“I just want to help him outside of school, if he needs any help with stuff,” Tim said.
