Terrance Jackson, III and Evan Jackson at Goodson Park

Firefighters show their love by saying 'thank you'

Contributed By:The 411 News

Every bay door was open, chairs were outside, and the barrel grill was smoking at Gary Fire Station No. 2 on 16th and Adams, last Saturday afternoon.

For the Gary One Love Firefighters Association, the occasion was time to say ‘thank you.’

It’s been less than a year since members stepped before Gary’s city council to announce their new organization’s mission to “perform a greater good for their fellow citizens.” Gary One Love was organized January 1, 2020 within the Gary Fire Department as a community-based association with a purpose to provide skills and services to youth.

Under their guidance, the Gary school system’s 2020-21 year began with a firefighter and paramedic training program at the Gary Career Center. Now, high school students in Gary will have a path to a career as a firefighter upon graduation, even to join the Gary Fire Department.

One Love wants to offer that career path to other Gary residents, too. Tyrone Jackson, the association’s vice president has seen many of them apply for firefighter positions with the GFD but turned away because of arrest and conviction records.

“We are tired of the people in our community having life-long consequences such as losing the chance to have good paying jobs, housing, and use of their lawful rights because of mistakes and bad choices they have made,” Jackson said.

To help improve a Gary resident’s life, One Love started their “Another Chance” program to help one Gary resident each year get their criminal history records expunged.

Indiana law permits the records of some misdemeanor and felony convictions to be erased from public access. When those records are expunged, background checks for job and other applications won’t reveal a criminal conviction.

“A lot of other people make those same mistakes and bad choices in their communities growing up but they have the privileges and resources to get their situation taken care of. In doing so, they are still able to have a fighting chance of accomplishing their life goals and being successful,” Jackson said.

In a partnership with Atty. Mike Woods and the Stracci Law Group, Gary One Love will pay the costs for 1 Gary resident each year to get their criminal history expunged.

To be considered for expungement, write Gary One Love Firefighters Association, PO Box 4788, Gary In 46404

Saturday’s celebration was the chance to show love to their fellow firefighters.

Mark Douglas was honored for his service of 30 years on the GFD. He retired in 2019 as the department’s chief medic.

Engineer Brian Goodson has a park named after him.

Goodson has almost single-handedly maintained the small park across the street from Station 2, installed nearly 10 years ago for the small subdivision of homes built by Habitat for Humanity. “No one claimed it. The city didn’t or Habitat,” Jackson said.

It has a basketball court, a playground, picnic tables, and a shelter. In the summer, One Love adopted the park and named it Goodson Park.

With the Career Center and Another Chance programs, seeds are planted for firefighters’ services to go beyond emergency response.


Jean Douglas, Mark Douglas, and Brian Goodson

Story Posted:09/23/2020