Fire Chief and Shop Owner Receives Community Support After Disaster
Community Fire Company Chief John Sharpe has battled many intense flames throughout his nearly 40-year career, but the last place he ever wanted to be dispatched to was his own auto shop.
Besides being a fire chief, Sharpe is the owner of Thompson Auto Care in Thompson, Connecticut. When he received a call from one of his employees saying that a car he was working on had caught on fire, he rushed over to his business, followed by other volunteer firefighters, reports Channel 3 Eyewitness News.
When Sharpe arrived, the nearly 100-year-old building was already engulfed in flames. While the employee made it out safe, it took hours to extinguish the fire, leaving monumental damage as a result.
Though Sharpe has handled many different incidents as a fire chief, losing his business to the fire has been hard for him. He has gone through the rubble trying to save anything that he can find and is working with his insurance company to see what can be done.
In response, the Thompson community has come together to support Sharpe through this difficult time.
Many have stopped by the shop to visit with Sharpe and see what help they can provide, and Community Fire Company Lt. Anthony Fitzherbert and other volunteers launched a GoFundMe. As of now, it’s raised over $6,000 to help Sharpe recover, after he has provided essential services to the community for decades.
“John is the kind of guy that will do anything for anyone and not expect a thing in return,” said Fitzherbert.
