Page 58 - Walton Living

“She still does,” said Battalion Chief “She teaches second grade at Pharr El- wait to see what Firehouse Flops has to
Craig League, who some claim is really ementary,” said Webster, whose daughter say. She waits until they ask and then lets
the unofficial “daddy” of Flops, but she’s is a Gwinnett County teacher at Pharr them know what it is that Flops has to say
gradually taken over the hearts of all of Elementary School. He said his daughter for that day.”
them, “Even though some still try to deny met Flops at the firehouse one day and Being Gwinnett County, however, it’s
it,” said John Webster, a Walton County took to looking at pictures that her dad unlikely that the students will get a field
firefighter who has no problem admitting and others from WCF would share. trip to visit Flops in her own environment,
his fondness for the station’s honorary “She had just graduated from Georgia but Webster said FaceTime with Flops
feline crew chief. Southern and this was her first official may be something to consider in the
“The fire trucks here belong to her. She teaching job and she was a little scared. future.
owns them,” Webster said. “She knows She thought that using Flops may help The cats that call Station 2 home all
when to get out of the way, but you will her teach her second-graders so the first have names, like “ inja itty” who, un-
often find her here on the trucks.” day she shared pictures of Flops and the beknownst to them, had a litter of kittens
It was once Flop got comfortable with kids just went crazy. ow Flops assists her in the kennel that they keep outside the
her position of authority as the fire sta- in teaching the second graders - and in door for the cats to go in for warmth if
tion’s chief feline, that firefighters began keeping them in line. Every day, they can’t needed. She would dash out of the kennel
calling her Flops. “She will get up on the and “attack like a inja,” if they got too
“Most time she’s now called Flops close. Webster said that all the cats and
because she just ops over,” Webster said. truck, stand up on the kittens have now been fixed, immunized
“She will get up on the truck, stand up on and, where possible, adopted out by Cir-
the bumper or will jump on the tailboard. bumper or will jump cle of Friends Animal Society.
If you ask her for a Hi- , she will put up “If it wasn’t for them, none of this
her paw and Hi- you. She’s more like a on the tailboard. If you would have been possible,” he said.
dog like that.” And as Flops becomes better known in
Webster said when he arrives in the ask her for a Hi-5, she the general public, there are some who
morning, Flops is usually outside the think she should consider branching out
door waiting to be let in. She will be fed, will put up her paw even further, maybe into some fundrais-
spend a little time visiting with whomever and Hi- you. She’s ing.
is there, and then head on out into the “I’ve always said I think she should get
surrounding pastures to do whatever it more like a dog like her own Facebook page,” said Monroe
is that firehouse cats do when they’re o Fire Department’s Capt. Jack Arm-
duty. But since making a name for herself that.” strong who is also technology specialist
at the station, Flops skills have grown and for WCF . “I bet you if we did that she
she’s now doing a little teaching on the could raise us enough money to get us a
side. new fire truck pretty quick.” •WLM

58 Walton Living Magazine