Lakeside resident has enduring bond with Henrico firefighters who saved her life

The Henrico County Board of Supervisors recently presented Chapman with the Distinguished Community Service Medal, established in 2018 to celebrate acts of community service by county employees and residents.

What started as a medical emergency for Lakeside resident Barbara Chapman five years ago has turned into an enduring bond with Firehouse 5.

In recognition of her generosity and gratitude, the Henrico County Board of Supervisors recently presented Chapman with the Distinguished Community Service Medal, established in 2018 to celebrate acts of community service by county employees and residents.

Her relationship with the Division of Fire began when she was enjoying a Saturday at the Lakeside Farmers’ Market and started to feel ill.

“Evidently, I didn’t eat enough breakfast and I couldn’t wait to get there,” said Chapman, who has diabetes. “I went over and I kept falling. Every time I’d take a couple of steps, I’d fall and I’d stumble.”

After she made it back to her car, a good Samaritan called for emergency help and the crews from Firehouse 5 promptly responded. A prick of Chapman’s finger revealed she had a dangerously low level of blood glucose, but she resisted going to the emergency room.

“[The firefighter on duty] said, ‘How about I try something?’ He was giving me these little packages of jelly, like strawberry and grape that you get in a restaurant,” Chapman said. “I had about four of them, and just about that time, it shot back up.”

The remedy allowed her to get in her car and return home.

“When I got home, I got to thinking: They saved my life. What can I do for them?” Chapman said.

She began to regularly visit the station, sharing homecooked meals and spreading joy among the firefighters. Firehouse 5 has welcomed Chapman into the family, with the affectionate title of “Mama 305,” named after the station’s fire engine.

“Between caring for us like that and actually having a general interest in us, it feels like she’s like the station mama,” Fire Lt. Travis Bowling said.

Some of the firefighters’ favorite foods from Chapman include her soups, chili and even Mediterranean food. She has also brought the firefighters small gifts, such as doormats and toothpaste.

“I treat them like they’re my children, my boys and my girls,” she said.

County leadership encourages employees to demonstrate The Henrico Way by showing passion and kindness in their work and in their interactions. The Distinguished Community Service Medal is awarded to county employees and residents who exemplify those qualities.

“If you talk with her long enough, you’ll realize she is taking care of her neighbors, [and] she’s taking care of friends,” Bowling said. “She’s just an extremely generous and caring person. We’re lucky that we’re just part of that.”

Fairfield District Supervisor Roscoe D. Cooper III surprised Chapman with the award during a Board of Supervisors’ work session on Aug. 27.

“She is the embodiment of paying it forward,” he said. “[She] is a living example of what service to others means.”

The award is something Chapman said she’ll cherish forever.

“It made my heart swell,” she said.

For more information about Henrico Fire, visit the division’s website.