By Martin Couch
Captain Rusty Long has been with the Bryant Fire Department since 2003.
"I started as a firefighter, made the rank of sergeant and then went to captain after that," he said.[more]
Long's rise through the ranks at the BFD has been rewarding to him.
"We are well known for vehicle accidents around here, so when you have a rescue at a nasty scene, some of those who you rescued come back to visit and say thank you," he said. "It's an extra payday for us. We don't make the biggest amount of money working here, but that's a payday you can't put a price on."
Long, who is from East End, likes Bryant.
"It's close to home," he said. "I like it because it's a smaller town and I pretty much know everybody I work with. If you go to a larger city, you don't have that. Bryant has a good home feeling here. You can meet people and get to see those people again, versus a larger city."
Long was inspired to be a fire fighter from his natural knack for helping people.
"I like helping people for one," he said. "It's a fun job. Anytime you get to help people and get out and teach kids fire safety, there's a reward there."
