The Day West Shook Texas (2015)

• 84%
• 2015
• Documentary
• Jim Gerik

They say the most important attribute a filmmaker can bring to his project is passion. Having been born and raised in West, this story is from my heart, as the people in this film are my friends and family. Their loss is my loss and our tears blended together in sorrow of those taken in this devastating disaster. As easy as it is to focus on the destruction, the real story is how it affected the living and the tight knit sense of community that comes with growing up in a small farming town. My father was the Fire Chief in West for more than 30 years and was named Texas Volunteer Firefighter of the Year in 1993. He recruited many of the men who lost their lives in this disaster. Make no doubt, this was personal, and I knew I had to make this film. The citizens of West, the survivors, the first responders, and the families tell their story. I gave them the platform, and hopefully the exposure necessary for others to relate and learn from this devastating loss. To this date, there are still no uniform state or federal standards governing the storage of ammonium nitrate. This story can happen again, to another town, to other families, to other first responders. I made this film to try and make sure no one has to go through what these people did.