ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Roanoke County Fire & Rescue welcomed its newest class of graduates from the Volunteer Fire Academy Wednesday night.
Amid the line of future first responders sat an empty chair―marked with a yellow ribbon and a helmet―for one recruit who didn’t get to graduate.
Eighteen-year-old Gavin Dent died in a car accident back in October.
“That was a really bad day,” said Cave Spring Volunteer Fire Department President Craig Sellers, where Dent volunteered.
Sellers said they all still feel his loss.
“When you get into the fire or rescue, EMS field, you kind of deal with a lot of bad stuff and see things you’d rather not see and do things you really don’t want to do,” said Sellers. “But when it’s some of your own people, it really makes it hard.”
Community Outreach Coordinator Brian Clingenpeel said to honor Gavin, they also named the academy’s academic award after him.
“He was a very, very smart young man, so the class felt like it was very appropriate to name the academic award after him. And so that’s what they did. And the first recipient of the Gavin Dent Academic Award was Chase Dent, Gavin’s brother,” said Clingenpeel.
Chase and Gavin were in the same academy class, both with a passion to serve their community. 10 News spoke with Dent’s mother who didn’t want to talk on camera.
She says she doesn’t want Gavin’s passing to take away from the other recruits’ accomplishments. And even though she’s heartbroken Chase lost a brother, she said he has a whole department of brothers and sisters now.
Clingenpeel said the graduation was bittersweet, but Dent’s legacy will live on.
“Take that hope, take that encouragement and pass it onto others because that’s what Gavin would have done,” said Clingenpeel.