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Bio	Biography of Fire Chief Terry Adam May 26, 1951 to Sept. 29, 2018 Submitted by Tara Anderson My dad was born on May 26, 1951. He joined the Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department in July 1970. Serving his community as a firefighter was in his blood. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather served before him. In 1985 my dad became Fire Chief. Taking this role to heart, he made it his highest priority to make sure his department was up to date on Fire, EMS, and Dive equipment to protect his community. On Nov. 23, 1968, Terry married Brenda Coonts and they had two children, Todd and Tara. Todd retired from the department after serving 20 years. Terry had four grandsons--Tyler, Trent, Tanner, and Zach--who are all now serving in the department. Since Terry's death, my husband, Doug Anderson, has become Fire Chief. April 15, 2009, my dad suffered a "widow maker" heart attack on scene at a structure fire. Because the firefighters were there with him they were able to perform life-saving CPR. During his recovery, he was still not able to go on calls but walked (yes, dad lived right next to the fire station) over to make sure everything was taken care of. In 2011, dad was diagnosed with throat cancer. Through several rounds of radiation he was able to perform his duties as Fire Chief on his good days. After several years of treatments and doctor appointments, his diagnosis was…cancer free! On Sept. 7, 2018, mom and dad set off on a 50th wedding anniversary trip to see Oregon--the final state in their list of 50 to visit (a "50 trip"). They set foot in Oregon on Sept. 10, but on Sept. 12, dad was hospitalized in the ICU for difficulty breathing. The next day he was released, with the doctor saying 'I think your cancer is back, end your trip and get back to Iowa and see your doctor.' On Sept. 21, at University of Iowa hospital, he learned he had Stage 4 cancer that had spread to his bones. He was in a lot of pain and went through test after test and had a trach put in. One day, a hospital therapist came in and asked him and us how we were dealing with all this news--and really, the hardest thing for dad was not being able to answer the radio when there was a call. He wasn't worried about his cancer, or dying, he was worried about his fire department. That's the kind of Fire Chief my dad was. On Sept. 29, 2018, at 4:30 a.m. dad died. The respect my family got from our department and from all the other Scott County emergency departments was so heartwarming. My dad's funeral procession had 30 emergency vehicles, with police and other fire departments at every intersection saluting my dad. When we came into Buffalo he was saluted by his fellow co-workers where he retired from, saluted by citizens of the town, and all the kids from Buffalo school lined the street saying goodbye to their Fire Chief. At the cemetery, my dad had the Ringing of the Bell ceremony and last, but not least, his Final Call. My dad was a fireman for 48 years and Fire Chief for 33 of those years. My dad's saying was "Life is Good." This year at Buffalo Days, our town's Fourth of July celebration, the theme will be Life is Good. The company we get the fireworks from is putting in a 48 Salute special firework to honor their Fire Chief. The Buffalo Volunteer Fire department has been and always will be my family. My dad was like a father to them and they will keep dad's memory alive by simply being the best firefighters they can and keeping the department up to date by "Terry Adams" standards. The loss of my dad is felt by everyone in the community and surrounding fire departments. My dad didn't become a firefighter for the glory, he became a firefighter to serve and protect his community, a selfless act that only a firefighter knows. My dad had a great life with great achievements. He was not only the Fire Chief, he was my HERO. Respectfully submitted by Tara Anderson