Easley Firefighters Help Students Beat the Heat

For the past two weeks, the Easley High School Marching Band has been working hard out in the heat. On Friday, the Easley Fire Department visited the school to help them cool off.

"They've spent 10 long hard days- we have three-a-day practices so they're here for 9 hours a day at least," said Assistant Director Nate Roper. "Six of those are out in the sun."

"This is just a reward for them, to cool them off and let them know we appreciate them," Roper said.

The students made sure Roper cooled off as well by forcing him under the stream of water.

"They got me really well, I'm soaked," Roper said.

At the request of the band, the Easley Fire Department came to the rescue and doused the students from the top of a ladder truck. Firefighters Josh Anderson and Travis Gantt said they enjoyed spraying the kids with water, but with Friday's heat, Anderson said he would have liked to be on the ground with the students.

Band Director Kristen Gill wasn't spared from the soaking either.

"I was dragged in," Gill said. "It was a wonderful celebration at the end of the two weeks."

The event came as a surprise to students and it seemed to be one they fully appreciated.

Low Brass/Drum Major Instructor Montecio Simmons is also an Easley High School Band Alumni and he remembers receiving the same surprise at the end of camp in his junior and senior years.

"We were told we were going on a jog and we jogged around the school a few times and then we ended up here and got sprayed by the fire truck," Simmons said.

"It was invigorating, especially after a hot day," Simmons said.