By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

The Alabaster, Pelham and Helena police and fire departments were surprised with free pizzas as a thank you from appreciative citizens on Sept. 11.

“It’s just a little thing we can go… anything we can to do put a smile on their faces,” David Keough of DEA Home Inspections, the donator of the pizzas, said. “It shows them a little support. What better day than September 11 to do it, and we’ll continue to do it year after year.”

Last year, Keough and his team brought the police and fire departments lasagna from Joe’s Italian. This year, they chose to deliver pizza from Buck’s Pizza in Alabaster, 72 pizzas in all.

“We make everything by hand,” Buck’s Pizza owner Hunter Sprabling said, adding the entire order took almost two-and-a-half hours to fill, but said he was happy to do it. “(Keough) is one of our regular customers… he came and talked to me (about the idea) two days ago.”

“Buck’s was great,” Keough said. “They gave us a big discount and they got there a couple hours earlier than they usually would.”

Although the DEA Home Inspections office in in Pelham, Keough said he felt it was important to acknowledge all of the police and fire departments in the “tri-city area” and the sacrifices they all make each day.

And it is a subject close to his heart, Keough said, adding his nephew recently became a firefighter in Rhode Island and a close friend of his was a police officer.

Keough said he plans to continue the tradition of delivering lunch to the police and fire departments on Sept. 11, and also plans to use local Alabaster, Helena and Pelham businesses to provide the meal.

“They’re always grateful,” Keough said of the police and fire departments. “It’s letting them know we appreciate them all year long.”