Community Kaleidoscope: Many Stories, One Future

It came as no surprise to those of us who love the Farmington area that our community was selected as one of the best places in our country to live. We at the Farmington/Farmington Hills Multicultural Multiracial Community Council realize it is the strong character of the varied residents of our community that makes it so vital. We are reminded of the words of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor: “We don’t accomplish anything alone…and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that create something.” Today’s column is a first in a monthly series called, “Community Kaleidoscope: Many Stories, One Community,”which tells the stories of some of those special people who compose the very fabric of our cities.
—By Karen Bolsen, MCMR chair and Mary Brown, MCMR chair of education subcommittee.

Stan Barnes: Culture Plays a Role in Emergency Response

“You can’t forget culture when you’re dealing with an emergency,” says Farmington Hills Firefighter Stan Barnes. But, even if we’re wrapped in different packages and it is a challenge to communicate, we all have the same problems. “You can treat every resident with the same respect, dignity, care, and compassion. With this approach, people are reassured and calmer.” You may be lowering a client’s stress, improving their vital signs and helping their chance for survival, notes Barnes. It’s always important to treat residents as respectfully as you would want your own mother or father, son or daughter to be treated.

A jazz musician as well as a public servant, Barnes and his wife, Brenda, have lived in Farmington Hills since 1990. Their three sons are ages eleven, eight, and four and attend Farmington Public Schools. Stan began as a volunteer firefighter in 1994 and was hired by Farmington Hills as a full-time employee in 1997. Stan first developed his interest in firefighting at the age of fourteen when extended family members perished in an accidental fire that occurred when they could only afford a space heater to stay warm.

Firefighter Barnes and his wife have experienced a few challenges over the years as African Americans in a predominantly white community, but he expresses his belief passionately that the blessings of living in the Farmington community far outweigh any bumps they have faced. The first blessing occurred when the Barnes family moved into their home and one of the neighbors arrived at their doorstep with baked goods.

While being a firefighter can show you some of the worst horrors in life, there are many positive moments too. Barnes shares a story about a fire that happened recently. As residents were evacuating an apartment building this particular morning, a young man offered his sweater to an elderly woman still in her pajamas. The two evacuees were from different cultures; Stan says you see people with different backgrounds interacting in heartwarming ways so often in our community.

Barnes sees the many different backgrounds in our community as refreshing, but mentions the numerous languages spoken by residents as a challenge for both emergency responders and clients. Stan says he often relies on the children of those in need who usually speak English, even if their parents do not. Firefighter Barnes believes we have a good start for getting along in the Farmington area and need to keep learning about each other because we have the “opportunity to set the bar for other communities.” All of the efforts of so many employees on the Fire Department to play Fire Safety Jeopardy at school assemblies and act as clowns at community events will help educate families about fire safety and build relationships between the community and the Fire Department. Barnes applauds his superiors and co-workers for their well-established training programs and community outreach.

Even in the most challenging situations, Stan always tries to smile and tell people, “have a beautiful day.” He is one of the many residents who make our community so cherished. In months to come, we will share more stories of the wonderful people who are part of the unique tapestry that is Farmington and Farmington Hills.