When Rev. Rick Gail experienced a devasting house fire that resulted in a total loss of his home and belongings, we made a decision to encourage Rick and his family as they walked through this challenging season in their lives. We are Mark and Tarra Stangl, and on behalf of Rick Gail we are asking you to join us in helping Rick build a new foundation for his home to be restored and rebuilt upon.

 

Rick is loved by so many individuals in the Linn County community where he has served as a CR Police Officer for 6 years, then as a CRPD & CRFD Chaplain since 1992, and at our local church since 1996, CR First Assembly, as our beloved Care Pastor. Our family have been deeply touched and impacted by Rick’s great love and commitment to give generously and we wanted to show him just how much we appreciate his servant’s heart and we know many others who also want to bless and support him now in his time of need.

 

DAY OF FIRE

The devasting fire that consumed Rick’s entire house resulted in a total loss, which occurred on Saturday, September 25, 2021, after Rick finished mowing and backed his lawn tractor into his garage.

 

September 25th is Rick’s daughter, Amanda’s birthday and while singing her Happy Birthday, he began to smell something. He finally decided to hang up and go find the source of the smell.

 

Walking throughout his house looking for the source led him to his garage. When he pulled the door open, flames exploded in the garage over by the lawn tractor and Rick called 911. When he got outside and turned back to the house, the flames were racing up the front of the house to the eaves and into the attic.

 

Rick attempted to drag the lawn tractor out of the garage, but he couldn’t get it out. He went back outside and saw his car was about to be engulfed. Rick has lung damage from an accident while serving as a Cedar Rapids Police Officer that ended his career in law enforcement. When he told us that he ran back in to save his car I shook my head, but knowing Rick, he ran back in on pure instinct and thankfully was able to safely remove his car, but not without causing some breathing difficulties.

 

The flames were now completely engulfing the south end of the house. Neighbors began to come out of their houses and traffic stopped with many people running to assist. There was nothing that could be done at this point, but wait for the fire department to arrive. As the CRFD arrived, they immediately began to attack the fire. They pushed Rick back from the house and ordered him to let them do their jobs.

 

In Rick’s words, “it seemed like it took a long time to extinguish the fire. After the flames, were reduced it still took a while to extinguish the entire fire throughout the house, attic, main floor, and basement.

 

“As the flames were roaring up the front of the house a fire captain came up to me and yelled at me to look at the walk by the front door. My church, CR First Assembly, had given out yard placards at Easter for us to place in our yards that read, Hope is Alive. The captain looked me in the eyes, hit my shoulder, and said “Rick, don’t forget that’” as he ran back to fight the flames. His admonition echoes in my heart at times when anguish is settling in, “Hope is Alive!”

 

After the fire, Rick had to secure the property and his family, friends, neighbors, and strangers were there with lumber, tools, and equipment. They begin measuring, sawing, cutting, nailing, and screwing wood up to the house to secure it as best as it could be done.

 

Rick and his son Neal, who lives with his dad, were now homeless. They stayed with family for four weeks until Neal and Rick were able to rent a duplex. The rental of the duplex is another story of love and kindness and as Rick says, “it is a gift from God from some very wonderful people.”

 

INSURANCE PROGRESS & INSPECTIONS

After the fire, the insurance company determined there was not much salvageable in the house. Rick and Neal lost just about everything. All furnishings, beds, appliances, a lot of their clothing are now in the dump. Rick told me “it still hurts to think about how it took years to accumulate all that “stuff/treasures” and in only a few minutes for it all to be destroyed.”

 

Rick’s insurance company IMT, immediately begin the process of rebuilding. Inventorying the contents of the house and salvageable items were sent off for cleaning and storage. After the inventory process was complete, demolition of the house took place. Rick said, “it was a tearful time watching my house collapsed into a pile of rubble, loaded into large dump trucks, and hauled away. Now all that sits on the property is a burned-out foundation.”

 

The original plans were to rebuild on that foundation. The plans, drawings, and blueprints were drawn up and approved by the city. The contractor began preparing the property for construction. The foundation had to be power washed, measured, and lasered to be sure it was level and had no damage from the fire. At first, it was determined that there was no fire damage. However, while measuring and laser leveling the foundation it was discovered that the foundation had settled five (5) inches from one end of the house to the other. The contractor decided he would not build on the foundation and withdrew as the builder. Concrete specialists/contractors, city inspectors, other contractors were all called in and had several meetings concerning this dilemma. More lasering, soil samples, foundation inspections, and footing inspections were done, and it was determined that the foundation had to be destroyed and replaced with new.

 

BUILIDING A NEW FOUNDATION

The damage to the foundation is not considered fire related and is not covered by insurance. The IMT Adjuster has done everything in his power to figure out a way to cover the foundation but to no avail, this is an expense that Rick will have to find a way to pay himself.

 

The replacement of the foundation is going to cost over $55,000.00 out of pocket. At this point, we talked with Rick about starting this GO FUND ME account to ask our community to help support Rick and his family build this new foundation and get them back into their home.

 

In talking with Rick, this is a very humbling thing for him. We spent a lot of time talking with Rick about accepting help and allowing people to express their love and concern. He said, “I would much rather be a participant that the recipient.”

 

All funds that are generously donated from this effort will go directly to RICK GAIL and to the foundation and rebuilding of Rick’s home. Rick says it is important for you to know that. “Nothing will be used for personal gain!!!” A new account as been established for these funds to go directly to RICK and for construction to finally begin. They hope to begin the first few weeks in March.

 

As many of you know, much of what was lost in the fire belonged to Rick’s late wife, Jan, who died suddenly on July 03, 2012. There will never be a way of replacing those items destroyed by the fire. Rebuilding this house is important to Rick, because Jan picked this house when they bought it in 1992. Jan immediately began making plans for their move in. There were changes Jan had wanted to make to the house, but they could not afford to make them. God is so amazing! Most of those changes have been incorporated into the designs for the reconstruction of the house. Many of these changes Rick had not even discussed with the architect. They were just drawn in as the designs proceeded. When Rick told him about it, he looked up and said that maybe he had help! Some of these changes even resulted in saving the insurance company money on the rebuild.

 

 

The Parable of the Two Builders – Matthew 7:24-27

Jesus states that those who hear His words AND do them are wise builders. They have built their homes on rock-solid foundations. The winds howl, the rains come – even a flood comes – but the house stands firm.

 

 

Thank you for helping support Rick in rebuilding his home on a solid foundation. We know he is greatly humbled and appreciates each of you!