CONCORD, N.C. — A beloved firefighter who worked in Concord and Iredell County has finally returned home from the hospital after he was severely injured in a crash in October.
Ray Elmore, assistant fire chief of the Cool Springs Fire Department, was rushed to the hospital last month after a driver crossed into his lane and hit his motorcycle when he was on his way to work.
Channel 9 talked to the firefighter’s son and learned a big band of Elmore’s firefighter brothers and sisters are already helping him heal.
Elmore’s son, Logan, thinks that as many as 100 firefighters have visited his father while he was in the hospital.
Even when they have to go back to work, the firefighters still support him from fire stations with signs that read, “Pray for Ray.”
With a smile, Logan Elmore told Channel 9, “He’s my Superman!”
Logan Elmore described his father's long list of injuries by saying, “Left leg amputation, surgery on the pelvis at the hip, broke his left arm in three different places, he has several cracked ribs and a bruised lung.”
Logan Elmore showed Channel 9 the helmet his father was wearing during the crash.
“As you can see, there’s barely a scratch on it,” he said. “It’s wonderful that he’s even still alive. I’ve witnessed many miracles in my life. This has been by far the biggest miracle.”
Logan Elmore describes his 45-year-old father as a man of God with two kids and one grandchild.
The firefighter has also been recognized with numerous “Firefighter of the Year” awards for his distinguished service.
Ray Elmore was on a ventilator, so he was only able to communicate by writing on a whiteboard.
Logan Elmore said doctors initially thought they’d have to amputate one of his arms, but that idea was scrapped after his father regained the ability to move his fingers.
“It’s been tough. Ray has been a part of the department for 25 years,” said Andy Webster, the fire chief of the Cool Springs Fire Department in Iredell County.
Ray Elmore is Webster’s assistant.
“When we say he’s our brother, he is,” Webster said. “Twenty-five years, he’s been here with us. His kids, we remember when they were born, the whole nine yards.”
His fire station and other local departments are banding together to take care of Ray Elmore’s family.
Firefighters worked to feed them, and helped to put them up in a hotel near the hospital so they could stay near Elmore's side during his hospital stay.
“It’s amazing how the bond of brotherhood comes together and is strong,” Logan Elmore said.
He said he thinks all the support and prayer is why his doctors believe his father will survive.
“It’s been a very big blessing, a very big blessing to us,” Logan Elmore said.
Logan Elmore told Channel 9 the family has forgiven the driver who is expected to be charged with causing the crash.
He said he thanks everyone who has prayed for his father, and he’s also giving a special thank you to the fire departments that have been helpful, including Cool Springs Fire Department, Concord Fire Department, Iredell County Fire and the Winston-Salem Fire Department.
Since insurance can be slow and Ray Elmore is still going through surgeries, firefighters have started raising money to help cover medical costs.
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