Times Advocate, 1994-8-10, Page 13Frenchman's Inn
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Exeter 235-2008
Second section - August 10, 1994
Since 1873
Just going about their own business
Exeter's 25 -firefighter department sees itself as a big security blanket we all need
Story and photos by
Fred Groves
T -A staff
EXETER - It's ironic that a pro-
fession which depends on sirens to
announce it's presence, doesn't real-
ly like to toot its own horn.
Fire departments all across the
world have two things in common,
they save lives and they are all
humble.
You never hear about what the
fire departments do until they race
to the scene of a tragedy and, in the
case of volunteer departments like
Exeter, everyday Joe's turn into su-
perheroes.
But never refer to thein as that.
Never call a fireman a hero for
pulling someone out of the jaws of
burning death. They don't want to
hear it because for the volunteer
who gets up and goes to his job the
next morning, he's just doing his
duty.
Exeter Fire Department Chief
Gary Middleton recently said, "we
don't even need fire departments,
it's not mandatory like police de-
partments."
A community without a lire de-
partment is hard to believe. In fact,
any community without one is just
plain foolish and are gambling
away everything they have worked
for.
At a recent practice, the Exeter
firefighters pulled on their boots,
started up the trucks and rehearsed
for something many of them pray
will never happen.
But if and when it does, they are
prepared. For those of us sleeping
in our beds or going about our reg-
ular day-to-day routine it's like hav-
ing a big security blanket wrapped
around you.
"Fire departments are our own
worse enemy. We never boast or
brag, we just go about our busi-
ness," said Middleton.
That business in Exeter has been
carried out long before the town
was incorporated as a village and
early !earnings about the fire.1e-
partment date back to 1870 when
Exeter acquired from London the
old rescue fire engine for $170. In
comparison, new pumpers nearly
125 years later ' cost about
$180,000.
In the 1870's there were two fire
companies in town, The Rescue
Fire Company No. 1 and The De-
fiance Fire Company No. 2. In
1877, William Treble was the cap-
tain of the Defiance Company and
Joseph Orr was the first lieutenant.
While the first means of fighting
fires. was simply by buckets and
ladders, the engine bought fibm
London was able to throw water
farther and quicker than by man-
power.
The first engine was pulled by
the firemen, that's why they had to
have two companies in town. It
wasn't until 1927 that a motor driv-
en engine was purchased and a new
one in 1944.
From climbing ladders and
throwing water out of buckets to
strapping on oxygen masks and
manning thousands of dollars worth
of life-saving equipment - Exeter
Fire Department, you've come a
long way.
Firefigher Darren Boyle attaches a hose.
A Aol.. A
// I I I I ... 1/
1 . . I I
X`
i 'f,/eli
1/, -
,/ /' ri:///'/ / 1 i, 4 '.• / Aft i
Exeter Fire Department's Platoon Chief Peter McFalls, left; Firefighter Rob Haines has all his gear on as he gets ready to
and firefighter Steve Wells work the pumper during Thursday practice.
night's practice.
•
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