HomeMy WebLinkAbouthistory efvc 2_0008I MENTIONED EARLIER °50 YEARS OF BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS" I WONT
ELABORATE ON THE BLOOD -NO NEED TO GET GRAPHIC LETS JUST SAY THERE
WERE PLENTY OF SCRATCHES AND THUMBS HIT BY HAMMERS ETC.AS THESE
FACILITIES WERE BUILT AND MAINTAINED BY THE MEMBERSHIP! DID YOU
KNOW WHEN THIS FACILITY WAS BUILT THE AGREEMENT WAS FOR THE TOWN
TO FINANCE THE SHELL IN ITS CONTRACT AND THE MEMBERSHIP WOULD
FINISH OFF THE INSIDE? AND THEY DID EARNING THE MONEY TO DO SO
THROUGH THEIR FUND RAISERS. MANY OF OUR WIVES AND FAMILIES FELT
VERY NEGLECTED DURRING THAT CONSTRUCTION PERIOD. AND AS I LOOK AT
OUR CHARTER MEMBERS I CANT HELP BUT REMEMBER "ITS ALL THEIR FAULT'.
A LOT OF SWEAT WENT INTO THIS BUILDING AS IT DID 50 YEARS AGO WHEN
THESE MEN AND THEIR FRIENDS STARTED THIS FIRE COMPANY IN WHAT IS
NOW KNOW AS THE COMMUNITY BUILDING.
AND WHAT ABOUT TEARS? THERE HAVE BEEN MANY! I CAN ONLY SPEAK
FOR MYSELF -BUT THE FIRST TIME ! CRIED 1N THE OLD FIRE STATION IT WAS
FOR A WOMAN I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW-! BELIEVE HER NAME WAS GIORDANO-SHE
WAS IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT ON RT 79 NEAR SHEFFIELD ROAD. WE
WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE LATE,WE COULDN'T EXTRACT HER -WE HAD NO
JAWS -HAD TO CALL TRUMANSBURG TO BRING THEIRS.IT SEEMED TO TAKE
FOREVER TO FREE HER AND WE WERE ELATED WHEN SHE WAS FREE AND
RUSHED OFF TO THE HOSPITAL AND DEVASTATED WHEN WE LEARNED SHE
DIED THERE,MANY OF US SHED TEARS FOR A STRANGER THAT MORNING,AND I
REMEMBER THE EMT THAT HAD SPENT SO LONG INSIDE THE CAR WITH HER -
COMFORTING HER AS WE WORKED TO FREE HER -THAT EMT WAS GREG
KIRCHGESSNER. THAT SUMMER AT THE CARNIVAL WE STARTED A DRIVE TO
FUND OUR OWN JAWS OF LIFE AND TODAY WE CARRY 2 SETS ONE RUNS FROM
POWER OFF OUR HEAVY RESCUE THE OVER PORTABLE -THIS IS WHAT 50
YEARS HAS DONE -THANKS TO THESE FOUR GENTS AND THEIR FRIENDS
YES TEARS THERE WERE MANY -ON FEB 4TH A RESCUE CALL -MAN
DOWN -THE ADDRESS -IT HAD TO BE ONE OF OUR OWN -POSSIBLE HEART! THE
DATE FEB 4TH 1983 -THE MAN WAS HAROLD CLARK A PILLAR IN HIS
COMMUNITY AND OF THIS DEPARTMENT -HE SUFFERED A MASSIVE CORONARY
AND DIED THAT MORNING AS TEARS FLOWED IN THE OLD FIRE HOUSE!
15 YEARS LATER TO THE DAY AND ALMOST TO THE HOUR -ANOTHER