FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth officers Buddy Calzada and Jimmy Pollozani spent all day Monday on the highway traveling back to Texas. Once their police department learned of the impact that a train derailment is having on people in East Palestine, Ohio, they had to do something.
"We made some phone calls to the disaster team there in Ohio," said officer Buddy Calzada, "They got back to us saying not only do we need fresh water, but how quick can you get it here?"
After approval from their police chief, the two-man delivery team got the department's community events box truck ready for a 20-hour one-way road trip. Thanks to Midwest Food Bank here in Fort Worth, Texas, the two man team transported 13 pallets with 40,000 bottles, totaling 2,338 gallons of waters.
"We hit the road first thing Saturday morning about 9 a.m. and we arrived Sunday night around 11:30," said Calzada.
Once at the drop off point in the city of Salem, near East Palestine, local police officers helped them unload the box truck. Word had already spread that there would be a truck from Texas delivering water and some of the locals expected a much smaller delivery.
Ted Evans grew up in East Palestine. He has been kept up to date on the recovery and mutual aid in his hometown by his sister. She has volunteered from day one after the derailment.
When Evans saw Calzada and Pollozani in the huge Fort Worth box truck, he became even more impressed about the generous donation from across the country.
"I thought well somebody is bringing a pick up truck full of water, and here is these police officers bringing a lot of water, thank you very much," said Evans.
Now, thanks to two Fort Worth officers who are used to taking care of people in their own community, families across the country will have access to fresh, clean bottled water.
"It's not only awesome to take care of the Fort Worth community," said Calzada, "but to have such an abundance, that we can take it almost 1,300 miles and take care of a community that is hurting as well."