DUPO, Ill. — People from all over the Metro East paid their respects to Prairie Du Pont Fire Captain and Paw Paw Tow Truck Driver Wade Bivins.
After a memorial service and visitation in Dupo, Bivin’s last call rang out in the parking lot as he was escorted with his helmet and flag to a fire truck for one final procession through town.
“This is the last alarm for Prairie Du Pont Fire Captain Bivins. Captain Bivins answered his last alarm on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, at the age of 57. Captain Bivins proudly served the residents of the Prairie Du Pont Fire Protection District for the last 39 years,” the dispatcher said.
Hundreds of first responders, family, friends, community members and even tow truck drivers filled Leesman Funeral Home in Dupo to say goodbye to Bivins.
“Wade Bivins was always quick to jump in, whatever the case might be. He was always there to help with anything, whether it be police, fire [or] EMS. He was there,” Prairie Du Pont Fire Protection District Chief Jerame Simmons said.
The Simmons are family friends of Bivins and say he had many jobs over the years because he loved his community.
“He loved everything he did, every part of his life he loved. The only thing I know he loved more than what he was doing there was his family,” St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency Director Herb Simmons said.
That included driving for paw paw towing where he was sent out on a job last Wednesday morning only to take his last breath helping someone else on the side of Highway 255.
“I think it comes back to the responsibility of the citizens. They have to take accountability. It doesn't take anything to take your foot off that gas and move over and give these first responders the space that they need. I still believe this could have been avoided,” Simmons said.
Simmons said he wants people to hold their loved ones close.
“Wade is a good example of when you leave home or when you get ready to hang up that phone, you need to be telling your loved ones how much you love them because they're never going to hear that from Wade again,” Simmons said.
More than a hundred tow trucks, fire trucks and police cars escorted Wade through town one last time.
The dispatcher ended the final call with these words, “Captain Wade Bivins Prairie Du Pont 4404 you have answered your last alarm and we’ll take it from here.”