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ROBERTSON

Video shows firefighter saving dog from flames

Nicole Young
Robertson County Times
Fire destroyed Brandon and April Gourley's Maxie Jones Road home near White House Saturday, but  their dog was saved by an off-duty Nashville firefighter they'd never met.

Tim Tawater was already late for his daughter's birthday party Saturday afternoon when he noticed dark clouds of smoke coming from the Maxie Jones Road area near White House.

He could have turned left onto Highway 76 towards the interstate and the Hendersonville party, but instead, the off-duty Nashville firefighter felt compelled to help. He turned right and followed the smoke to a burning house and risked his life to save a pet that belonged to a family he’d never met.

At the time, he didn’t know he was on camera or that the resulting video would gain national attention.

“Most firemen are attracted to smoke,” Tawater said. “Honestly, it’s like a dog to a bone. We just can’t get away from it.”

Since Saturday, the rescue has been featured on several websites, news stations and syndicated television show Inside Edition.

A Cross Plains resident, Tawater, 49, is a 20-year veteran of the Nashville Fire Department, currently stationed at the North Nashville Fire Hall on D.B. Todd Boulevard. When he first arrived at the burning Maxie Jones Road home Saturday, emergency responders had not yet made it to the scene, he said.

“My first thought was to save anyone who may be inside, so I went in and did a primary search,” he said. “There were no people inside, which was a good thing. I came back out and noticed the dog standing at the door.”

When Tawater tried to approach the dog, it ran back in the house, he said.

“If someone has a dog that big in the house, it means that dog is family,” he said, adding that the dog, a Bouvier des Flandres, weighed roughly 85 pounds. “I couldn’t do anything about the property, but I could save that dog. I thought it was worth a chance. I’m a strong believer in the fact that God has called me to do this, and he’s going to protect me until I’m done.”

Tawater had barely made it out of the burning house with the dog when he heard the roof collapse behind him. By the time emergency responders made it to the house about 15 minutes later, he was gone.

Tim Tawater

Cross Plains Fire Chief Tommy Jackson was one of the first to arrive.

“There were heavy flames, lots of smoke. The smoke was so heavy that we could see it from our fire hall when we got the call,” Jackson said.

Emergency crews spent about six hours at the scene, according to a Robertson County dispatcher.

The fire

The fire started in the ceiling area of the kitchen and had spread throughout the middle section of the home, Jackson said. The house was a total loss, but firefighters were able to save a red 2000s-model Chevrolet truck that was parked near the home, he added.

“The family was also able to get some stuff out of the house,” Jackson said. “They had some antique wedding dishes that belonged to a grandmother that they were able to save as well as some clothing.”

The homeowners, Brandon and April Gourley, returned home shortly after midnight on Sunday, according to their pastor Kris Freeman. The couple and their four children, ages 13, 12, 10 and 5, have attended Revolution Church in White House for about four years, Freeman said, adding that it was the first time husband and wife had traveled together without their children since they were married.

“They were celebrating their seventh wedding anniversary and had been in Gulf Shores (Ala.) for about an hour on Saturday when they were notified about the fire,” Freeman said. Their children were staying with grandparents while the couple was away, he added.

“One of the grandparents was also dog-sitting and had been at the house with the 5-year-old about 30 minutes before the family was notified about the fire,” Freeman said. "They were lucky."

In addition to the dog, the family also has three cats. Two of them had been found as of Tuesday, but the third was still missing, Freeman said. They had just moved into the Maxie Jones Road home about a year ago from Sumner County and had plans to remodel, he added.

Helping the family

The family has homeowner’s insurance and is staying in a local hotel while the investigators work to determine the cause of the fire, officials said.

“The insurance company will reimburse them for their hotel stay, but we wanted to help them with out-of-pocket expenses and essentials while they’re displaced,” Freeman said of his congregation of about 350. “They don’t have anywhere to store goods, so we came up with the idea to collect gift cards for them. We wanted to give them the ability to purchase what they need.”

To date, Revolution Church has delivered $475 worth of gift cards and an additional $75 worth of purchased goods to the family, Freeman said.

“There are so many people reaching out to them right now that it’s almost a little overwhelming for them,” he said. “For everyone who sees the video and shares it, thinking it's amazing, I want them to know that when all the lights and cameras and media is off, this family is still picking up the pieces.

"I know they are grateful for Mr. Tawater, and I know they are grateful for the support they're getting."

Tawater and the Gourleys have met twice since the fire destroyed their home, Tawater said on Tuesday. During those meetings, they discovered they had many mutual friends, he said.

“They’re great. I love them,” he added. “I was surprised we hadn’t met before, but then again, I think I’ve been down Maxie Jones Road maybe twice since I’ve lived here.”

Missionary firefighter

Tawater and his 18-year-old son were scheduled to leave Wednesday for a mission trip to Southeast Asia. A Nashville native, Tawater has lived in Cross Plains for the past 16 years with his wife and their four children, ages 23, 21, 18 and 13. The family attends Grace Baptist Church in Nashville, where Tawater has been a member since fifth grade, he said.

This is his second time traveling to Southeast Asia for mission work, he added.

“I felt compelled to go back after the first trip and I wanted to take my son with me this time,” he said. “Hopefully, by the time we get back, this will all be over. I’d rather no one know it was me. That’s why I left before everyone got there on Saturday. Firefighters don’t do what we do for ourselves. We do it because we want to help others.”

Tawater said a relative supplied the news media with his identity after watching the video of him saving the Gourleys’ dog online earlier this week.

He and his son are slated to return home from mission work on Oct. 26, he said.

In addition to the Cross Plains Fire Department, the Orlinda Fire Department, White House Fire Department, White House Community Volunteer Fire Department, Robertson County Emergency Medical Services, Robertson County Emergency Management Agency and Robertson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, a dispatcher said.

A fire report on the incident was pending as of Tuesday, Jackson said.

Family and friends found solace in this photo of the Gourley's home, taken from inside earlier this week. The burned-out beams form a cross and immediately caught the eye of their pastor Kris Freeman, who asked if he could photograph it.

HOW TO HELP

Donations for the Gourley family can be sent to Revolution Church: P.O. Box 237, White House, 37188

For more information, call the church office at 615-334-1228.