Pam Beall of Monkton called Hereford Volunteer Fire Company last week with a simple request. She wanted to know if she could take a photo of the station to send to a soldier in Afghanistan.

Beall and the soldier have been corresponding for the past 18 months, and he mentioned in his last letter that he was a firefighter in Oregon. He wondered what her local fire station looked like.

"I was just going to take a picture, but by the time I got up there, they had moved two fire engines outside, they had a bunch of firefighters and they were waiting for me," Beall said.

Hereford volunteer Betsy Mellin answered Beall's call and after talking with Hereford's chief, Chuck Bollinger, decided to shoot the photo Monday night, Dec. 5, because firefighters were at the station for training.

Bollinger called local a photographer, David Starling, and asked if he'd be willing to take the picture.

The whole thing came together and 15 fire company volunteers, ranging in age from 17 to 87, joined Beall and her husband, Bob, for the photo.

Hereford firefighters also gave Beall several fire company patches to send along with the picture.