When you see a firefighter fighting dehydration in a soft drink commercial, did you ever wonder how the beverage got into the firefighter's hand? Have you ever gone to a spaghetti dinner or pancake breakfast at a fire house and wondered who did the cooking, and cleaned up when it was over?

Each of Goochland's fire-rescue companies has an auxiliary that provides many of the behind-the-scenes services that help keep EMTs and firefighters ready to respond to emergencies. Auxiliary members also raise a great deal of money to pay for equipment.

"They are worth their weight in gold. They give us the gift of time," Earl Taylor said of the Crozier auxiliary members.

"Their support means everything to us," former Captain John Boatwright said of Centerville's auxiliary.

Auxiliary membership requirements vary from company to company but are generally modest. To be a member of Centerville's auxiliary, for instance, assistance at only one fundraising event per year is required.

Tasks performed by auxiliary members range from baking pies for annual chicken dinners to waiting for estimates on station repairs, to preparation of support mailings. During extended fires and complex rescue situations, auxiliary members provide beverages and food to emergency workers.

Several stations need volunteers to cut grass and keep landscaping neat. In spite of active auxiliaries in each company, all too often volunteer firefighters and EMTs clean stations and participate in fundraising activities in addition to meeting training requirements and answering calls.

People from all walks of life give a little time to serve on their local fire-rescue company's auxiliary. Supervisor Rudy Butler, for example, serves pancakes at Centerville's annual Breakfast with Santa.

"We're still new at this, but we have a lot of fun. It would be easier if we had more members," said Brenda Wilcox, president of the two year-old Hadensville Auxiliary as she presented Captain Kenneth Waddy with a check for $6,000. "This is a great way for people new to Goochland to meet people and become a part of the community," Wilcox added.

Fire-rescue companies are located in Manakin, Crozier, Centerville, Fife, Goochland Courthouse and Hadensville. Each has an active auxiliary that needs your help, even if you can only spare a day or two a year.