Tropical Storm Gordon - and the Meaning of Fraternity

As I visit my mom on Anna Maria Island, I remember something that happened in 2000 that showed me truly what our fraternity was all about.

In December 2000 Tropical Storm Gordon came up the Gulf Coast of Florida. My mom and her cat had evacuated, and came back after the all - clear, only to find a tree smack on the middle of her roof. She called me, and I made several arrangements with insurance adjustors, etc. I offered to come down, but she insisted that she would be fine.

Well, the insurance adjustor turned out to be a reincarnation of Joseph Stalin. He was a total dink, and my mom was getting more rattled. I called Florida Trustee Pete Fire, and explained everything to him. He told me that someone would be dropping in on my mom shortly. He also suggested that I just mention the name of an attorney that the Florida FOP worked with, who apparently is an expert in elder law and who has cost insurance companies who prove to be jackasses a lot more than if they had just paid the claim.

He wasn't kidding - within an hour my mom had a knock on the door. It was Holmes Beach Officer Pete Lannon - a transplant from South Carolina, and a 20 year FOP member. He quickly became my mom's personal cop. Pete Fire's suggestion worked also - I told the adjustor that I was getting very frustrated, and that if things continue, I would just turn it over to this attorney. Well, wouldn't you know it - things went real smooth after that. I cancelled my plans to fly to Florida.

Pete Lannon became a great friend of my mom's and mine - more on him on the next blog.