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Home My WebLink Aboutmembership article ij Enfields golden volunteersEnfield's golden volunteers M MING ACCIDENT: Enfield furf*teis take part In a fie Enfield Fur Copany has about 47 volunteers, 300f musing demonstration of a car wreck behind cite fee sia- than actor members The deparanent is curremjy seeing tion Thursday evening. Celebourig its 50th anniversary more nxmten and reit-agers.ioirr as rands Fire company passes half -century milestone aY LAUREN STANFORTH Jmmal Staff ENFIELD — Of all the things Dominic Seamon remembers about his 41 years with the Enfield Fire Company, the one incident that landed h'un m the hospital wasn't first in his mind During the department's 50th anniversary this month, Seamon recalled the biggest fires he ever responded to. Among them was the double fire on New Years Eve 1962, when a blizzard made it nearly impossible to fight two house foes in the same day. Butwhat about 1976? Nured in accident That's when Seamon was responding to a house fire and Ion control of the wick crash- 999 rash- ing into a deep ditch, striking [he end of a colvert Qipe. He spam several weeks N the hcs- piraland months renrperatmg. "Oh, that," Seamon said, waveyoff the incident's signifi- cance. "1 was only in the hospi- tal for a week" Seamon has been with the fire company almost since its inception in 1948. When he joined in 1956, volunteer Charlie Sheffield said the fire company 'vas just firemen having a good time." Seamon and Sheffield often needed only a family's come to rtspond, and volun- teers were summoned either by the wall of a siren or called on the telephone by a ladies auxiliary member. Company had 100 Membership hovered around 100 people in a town with m population of 1300. But as Enfield's population has maeased, membership has dropped off. In a town with a population of mor: than 3.000, the Enfield Fire Company on its 50th anniversary n about 47 vokubers, 30 of them active members Lagging interest in volun- teerism is not just Enfield's problem State and federal Occupa- tional Safety and Health Administration regulations require a demanding number of training hours and prerequi- sites to maintain status as a vol- unteer firefighter. More women, teens But people still join. And Enfield's department, glee oth- ers, a seeing more women and teen-agers taking the place of men like Seamon _ and Sheffield. IM explorer program kept me out of trouble, and my friends," said 21 -year-old Jim Clart about the company pro - giant that trains 14- to litlear- olds to become active mem- bers. "run putting my leamuy to good use for my community, but oho to gaol some r y ence," said volunteer Sherry Berggren, who also works in Ithaca ma 911 dispatcher. But declining volunteerism hasn't been the only hurdle, In a town where residents some- times question the establish- ment, the fire company s bud- get has often been challenged. Budgetafy Challenge In 1983, the fire company attempted to incorporate as a fire district a step which makes the town responsible for the fire department budget. It was the only way fire otfcuds knew to receive more money from the town board Some residents'sentiments about the change were so nega- tive that fire officials took to Enfield Main Road and hand- ed out pamphlets to passing vehides. Company is strapped "People didn't know what was going on and tlne Cue com- parry was exuemey strapped" said Enfield Fire Company member Larry Saulsgrver. "Only one-third of our funding came from the town." The fire district was voted down, and the department remained a fan protection dis- trict, a measure which makes the department an indepen- dent entity that contracts with the Tam of Enfield Slowly, the town board increased the fart company's funding, from $41,p10 in 1983 to $161F4 in 1998. But the fire company's bud- get often is still up for public scrutiny. In 19%. the company angered then -supervisor Bill Mather by not turning in a bud- get with a 12 -percent cut and one with a zero -percent increase, as Mather requested. The action acro made some ms - idents question the need for the proposed $208,481 budget. That number ended up being pared dam to $156,374. largest rural station For a volunteer staff of 47, some residents might also quer tion the need for the sin of the Enfield Fie Company's station — the largest rami station in Tompkins County. Volunteers are now working on a $60,000.380,000 addition that will alba for a decontami- nation room. showers and lock a room. But Smilsgiver said it will not prompt a raise in the town's fire tax The addition a being paid for through a $30,000 loan, the seek of an old truck and donabom. Celebration grant Fire company officials also expect 50th -anniversary cele- bration costs, such w an end- cf-ftlear banquet and prim- ing of a commemorative book, to exceed $6,000 and are asking the Totpl®s County Board of Representatives for a celebra- tions' grant to help. In May, the company will dedicate a memo- nal garden near the fie depart- ment's pond for all thoe who have served, and the Jura: fee company carnival w01 feature 50th anniversary firework,