Caeleb Lewis is Hawkins County Rescue Squad's 'rising star'

The rescue squad is a nonprofit that provides emergency services to the region’s residents. Capt. Corey Young said that medical and motor vehicle crises are the rescue squad’s most common calls. Vehicle extrication, for example, may involve freeing someone pinned in their car after a crash. The squad also does trench and water rescues, lost people searches and more.

“A lot of people say it takes a special person to do this kind of stuff,” 1st Lt. Sandra Lewis, Caeleb’s mother, said. “It does.”

That’s because of the nature of the work, but also because the rescue squad are all volunteers.

“We get paid $0.00 and however many zeroes after that,” Young said. “So, it’s hard to get people to commit.”

Despite this, Young said that having a full-time mindset in the rescue squad is important for success, as the public wants the most capable person coming to help them.

Lewis has that full-time mindset. He has the commitment.

Since graduating from Cherokee High School, Lewis is at the rescue squad station every day.

“There are trucks here that I know like the back of my hand — I’ve been around so much,” Lewis said.

Twice, he was voted captain of the junior crew by his peers. Now as a sergeant, he’s in charge of the buildings and grounds. After a Sept. 11 election, Lewis will be promoted to first lieutenant of administration. He’ll be third in command at the station and in charge of paperwork.

Young described Lewis as a rising star in the rescue squad that will one day lead the agency. Sandra Lewis said that her son can arrive to an accident scene and know exactly what to do, just from looking out the rescue truck’s window.

“He’s usually one of the first ones off grabbing tools, because he knows what he’s going to need and he’s already headed that way,” she said. “He can take control of a scene and do it well.”

This ability comes from years of experience, despite Caeleb Lewis’ youth. He joined the rescue squad’s junior program when he was 14 years old.

“When I say ‘joined,’” Young said, “He jumped in knee-deep. No, really, elbow-deep.”

A few years prior, Lewis’ older brother, Jacob, had become a crewmember. Their parents, Sandra and Tim, weren’t far behind. Neither were Caeleb or his younger brother, Cecil, or their cousins. Member meetings can look a bit like a Lewis family reunion.

“We all became involved and gave 110% — are still giving 110%,” Sandra Lewis said.

“And then some,” Caeleb Lewis added.

“We’re all in,” his mother agreed.

Junior members receive most of the training and respond to the calls that full members do. Caeleb Lewis spent just about every weekend at the station when he was in high school.

“If I told him to go do any type of training,” Young said. “He would probably run to it.”

Sandra Lewis, who directs the junior program, said they teach the students through games: playing Jenga with the jaws of life teaches precision. So does passing cups of water over and under tables with heavy machinery meant to pry open metal.

“It’s harder than it looks,” Caeleb Lewis said of the games. “But I like it.”

Sandra Lewis said that before Caeleb joined the junior team, he wanted to be a professional football player. But he found his calling with the rescue squad, and Sandra said he flipped from night to day.

“He was all about sports, and now he’s all about giving back and doing this,” she said.

Last fall, Caeleb Lewis spent three nights performing rescues in Greene County during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. He and the Hawkins County Rescue Squad helped Greeneville’s emergency rescue team answer their emergency calls.

“The first night we were there, we were out all night long,” Lewis said. “Just doing anything we could for those areas of Greene County. We were doing anything from running medical, running wrecks, doing a little bit of water rescue.”

His father Tim and brother Jacob also helped with relief efforts in Greene County.

“First time I’ve ever had to take a boat to someone’s front door and pick them up,” Jacob Lewis said.

“They learned a lot of things, got to see a lot of things,” Sandra Lewis said. “But there’s still yet a whole lot more to learn.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Caeleb Lewis said.

He said he commonly responds to calls alongside his family, usually his dad. Lewis said it helps having people beside you that have your full confidence and faith. After all, he understands firsthand where their dedication comes from.

“It’s rewarding to know that you did everything you could to save [a] person’s life,” Sandra Lewis said. “You see the fear on those people’s faces, but we don’t give in to the fear of it. We’re there for them.”

Caeleb Lewis described his time in the rescue squad as an unforgettable experience.

“Yeah, it has its ups and downs,” he said. “[But you get to see] the difference you make in the community. We’re there to help someone at the worst point in their life.”