FDC's Community Hero Has 50 Years with NHRA’s Safety Safari

This week’s Community Hero rarely misses a race.

Rowland Hall has been a member of the NHRA’s Safety Safari team for five decades, helping keep drivers, crews, fans and everyone else safe.

This weekend represented his 50th time at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals. 

We felt honored to recognize Rowland with the Fire Department Coffee/NHRA Community Hero Award, thanking him for his decades of service and presenting him with a gift box filled with FDC gear and an engraved tumbler, a small token of our immense gratitude.

Rowland is one of many of the "Unsung Heroes" of the Safety Safari, a group of highly trained and experienced safety personnel who travel to every race with the NHRA.

The Safety Safari consists of EMTs, firefighters, track preparation experts and technical inspectors. They ensure that every aspect of a race is safe and compliant with NHRA regulations.

The Safety Safari is responsible for inspecting the race track surface to ensure that it is free from debris, repairing any potential hazards, and maintaining the track's traction. They also provide medical assistance to drivers and crew members in the event of an accident, and they are equipped with the latest technology and equipment to respond quickly and efficiently to emergencies.

In addition to their on-site duties, the Safety Safari also conducts educational programs to promote safety awareness among participants and fans. These programs cover a range of topics, including fire safety, first aid and emergency response procedures.

Recognizing the Incredible Impact of Rowland Hall

Rowland has a degree in mechanical engineering, and he also served a stint in the U.S. Army before joining the Safety Safari in 1973.

When he’s not working on the race circuit, he’s operating his machine shop, Hood Hinge Restorations, in Burbank, California.

At the track, he is a go-to person within the Safety Safari team, and he has done just about every job in the ranks with distinction. Even now, he doesn’t hesitate to take on the physical jobs that would wear down younger men.

Rowland has always been the type to lead by example, and we’re proud to shine a light on this hero so that his example can be seen by even more people. He’s an inspiration to the Safety Safari team and to first responders everywhere.

Thank you, Rowland, for all that you do!