Volunteer Firefighter Spotlight – Chris Dove

April 24, 2024

A few years ago, Chris Dove found himself in the good kind of trouble after he posted on Facebook offering to help his neighbors with whatever they needed after a hurricane. Chris is very active in his church and knew a few members were volunteer firefighters – not only because they were friends, but because they kept asking him to join.

After Chris’s Good Samaritan Facebook status, “One of the guys from church said, ‘Hey dude, look, I can see your joy from helping others, you should consider volunteering your time as a firefighter,’” Chris recalled. Laughing, he added, “I got tired of hearing them aggravating me about it.”

Chris has volunteered at Dillon County Station 1 for 2 years now, citing his decision to volunteer as “one of the best I’ve ever made” and “my biggest joy.”

A North Carolina native, Chris has called Dillon County home now for over half his life. He raised his kids here, coached ball here, and planted roots here. Chris’ story is unique in that he got involved with the fire department later in life.

“I wish years ago that I would have known then what I know now, because I would’ve been giving,” he continued, “People don’t understand how much they have to offer.”

Before kids, a career, and the fire department, Chris was a college athlete. He’s strong, knows what it takes to be a team player, and can be leader when he’s called upon.

“Joining the fire department, it brought those feelings back,” Chris said about the similarities between volunteering and his time playing on a team. “Being able to understand and know that you can count on the person beside you, that they have your back, those are things that I missed for a long time.”

One night, Dillon County was called to a house fire. When everything was said and done, the house was a total loss. The department formed a circle to pray over the family, and the family returned those prayers back to the volunteers who worked tirelessly to save their home.

“They lost everything of value,” Chris recalled, but it’s what happened after stays with him. “Yet they still hugged us all and told us that they loved us and thanked us for what we did… there’s no award, no amount of money, that could touch that.”

A man of strong faith, Chris believes in a higher purpose for what we experience, saying, “Sometimes we don’t understand why this devastation and all this hurt happens, but I truly know that God has a purpose.”

“When you volunteer, and you volunteer in your community, I’ve been to fires and scenes, whether it be wrecks or whatever the case may be, where the person you’re trying to help is someone you go to church with or someone you passed in Walmart,” Chris said. “You’re fighting for your neighbor.”

Ever the team player, he chooses to volunteer because “I don’t want to be someone standing on the sidelines.”