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e s T MAY 29, 2008 Fifty years of fire fighting in South mavegn2008 â€" x *Amr mt o reomine oat mE M in > Tsd Frontenac‘s Portland DiStriCt sy mieoue _IuEFRoNTENAC NEWS. n _June 7. from 11:00amâ€"3:00pm, A similar change includes regular deâ€" ‘And if you are seriously considering OSou\h Frontenac Fire and Rescue will briefing sessions which occur after NY serving your community by. joining the be having an Open House celebrating 50 call where there has been serious injury of volunteer fire fighters, you can apply aSt years of fire fighting in the Portland District. loss of life. Regular training sessions are the township office in Sydenham. TOdadYa The celebrations will take place at Station also held every Tuesday night at Station applicants require a physical exam and ied j locatâ€" 4 medical certificate, an interview, a driver‘s 4, the original hall were it all began, > f | tiB ; B i etemmelene ed on Holleford Road in Hartington. The Volunteer fire fighting is a serious underâ€" license or the intention of acq t on u.. ; i j ething d of course a strong desire to serve th celebrations will include a free barbeque taking, and there is definitely som 5. Nan peleier he compunty plus various displays comparing old and about it that keeps these two veterans m,eAT volunteers who serve and train are new fire fighting equipment. h ©coming back. Deputy Chief Bill, a cattle mpensated by hourly pay. Ben Lappen, assistant deputy Chief 3t . farmer (late to arrive for an interview due °"I think that Mr. Babcock and Mr. Lappen Stations 3 & 4 has spent 22 years 0n }he to assisting a "cast" animal) explains that id agree that serving the community department. He has access to historical he "knew he could do good serving on the woua volunteer fire fighter is a challenging documents that describe the beginning of department by helping people when they atr31zjt9rtal<in§;, but it is one that 2180 é;jr{l\es the department here. It all began in 1958, are really in desperate need of it." F ith many rewards. On June 7 at e tal-mle?nq when 40 concerned Portland Township Are there challenges? "Of course. Any \.I4V|in Hartington you‘ll be able t9 2 residents saw the need to form their own call that involves a youngster is always Misong group of fire fighters. Before this time, difficult," he says. Assistant Deputy Ben the residents relied on the services of the adds... "Lots of times we are responding Kingston and Loughborough departments, to friends and family in the community." which were costly, and due to long disâ€" That must indeed be a challenge in itself tances and poor road conditions they often but also an incredible reward. could not respond quickly enough. j As our meeting is forced to end due the That year funds were gathered, equipâ€" training session that lies ahead, Deputy ment was purchased, including an original Chief Bill is handed an envelope that arâ€" pumper that had to be stored at Leonard rived for him that evening, dropped off by .Fuels until the original hall was built, ana a member of the community whose child the first 21â€"member volunteer fire departâ€" received the assistance of the department ment was incorporated by council in May earlier that week. A note of thanks, one of of 1958. thany, Bill Babcock, deputy chief at Stations * ues 3 and 4, has servedpfoyr 38 years. He exâ€" Both Bill and Ben are ‘OOKXE f:):'r:"evfi;‘ciég plains that, "fifty years ago it was very difâ€" the upcoming open house. ANYG opâ€" ferent from now .... back then mostly all of ested in the history Dfflfelfigh.“”gt::‘. e DJ y the calls were fire related. Today 90% of ~ trict of Portland shouldn‘t m'SSSO 1. et;/_end the calls we receive are medical calls." He | These two gentlemen hav‘i Ctam 'ne," explains that 50 years ago funerals homes years of service between them; there wil in the district had their own ambulances _ | _ definitely be a wealth of information and that responded to medical emergencies. history to those seeking it out. The numbers of volunteers has changed And if the machines will interest you as dramatically over the years as well. Ben much as these men; and_ the trucks will atâ€" says that, "Fifty years ago and up until the tract you as much as their talk...even more 1970s shift workers employed at Alcan, reason to attend the Open House.Alqu the DuPont and other factories in the area "the goods" will be on display at Station 4 made up a huge percentage of the volunâ€" on June 7. A } h : teers." The number of volunteers has takâ€" Modern medical equipment including en a large hit with the downsizing of those defibrillators, resuscitation bags and ba_ck companies. Ben adds, "While some volunâ€" boarding eqtljlipment will be lShownci fOn disâ€" Iiproprrarmmmati play also will be newer tools used for waâ€" Ben Lappen and Bill Babcock teryand ice rescues. On hand will be "bush teers have permission to leave their day pumps" a modern type of pump that can jobs to respond to aâ€"call, the number of pump water up to 3 miles into the bush. volunteers available during the day these And of course..... the trucks: The 4WD days is far less than it once was." bush truck used for towing trailers and Training has changed dramatically over getting into those hard to reach places; ' the years as well. Bill explains, "Up until the white rehab trailer that provides basic fabout(10 years ago volunteers could put necessities to the volunteers like warmth, in a single session of training at the staâ€" food and water; the rescue truck that carâ€" tion, were handed a pager and were conâ€" ties the jaws of life and medical equipment sidered ready to go out." Today a mandaâ€" and the tanker truck that was purchased tory 19-compone_m training course put out with $40,000 fundraised through the bass by the Ontario Fire Curriculum is required flshing derby that happens annually . â€"*~ before anyone steps out to fight a fire or perform a rescue.