Sewickley Herald

              The Herald
The Sewickley Valley’s Home News Weekly
Vol. 41 No. 40
SEWICKLEY, PA., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1944
Price Five Cents
Sewickley’s Firemen Are Ready!
Edward J. Bemke, assistant cliief, stands at left, in front of ladder truck; Harry McDonald is at the wheel. To right, in front of the pumper, kneeling, are George Singer, Victor E. Fisher, John A. Grazioli, special, ‘Jack’ W. Snodgrass, special, and Allen R. Hite, special. Standing, Richard J. Kearoher; William Beck, lieutenant; Elmer 0. Bamngartel, lieutenant, secretary and treasurer; William Carson, lieutenant; Police Chief T. J, Prendergast, special driver; John S. Sokol, special, Lester S. Abercrombie, special, and Robert J. Haley, special. On seat, left to right, William McDonald, driver, and J. C. Doughty, chief. Wade Baltz, not present when Tom Toia took the picture, appears below1.
FIRE PREVENTION WEEK OPENS
On 'account .of thb war the Sewickley Firo Department has lost several men to 'the armed services and others because of work out-of-town. As a result, groups «of six high school youths have been given basic training; is* iiro (fighting and aid the more experienced lire lighters in 'extinguishing blazes. With the cooperation of school authorities, the plebo «moke eaters are released from .classes dn case of a iiro during school hours, «nd then it’.s a sight to. see the six bicycles coming Up Logan Street towards the borough /building at top speeds, ©ho youngsters have shown up the'.old timers in speed Of reaching the borougli building on «several occasions and .once, with an experienced driver, put out a gross Jiro themselves. The first group to bo trained 'by Fire Chief J. 0. Doughty ims already gone oil: to tlio wars and the group shown above is the second to be trained. Since the* So* Wickley dcpM'tment Adopted tlw system,
other lire companies in the county, have tried it with success.
Since .1940, the Sewickley Fire Department has not made an appeal for funds, with the result that the money raised then is exhausted. Finding it much mows satisfactory to appeal directly to the residents of the borough for support rather than holding a carnival, bingo, dance, movie or theatrical, where the expenses for professional promoters take a 'large percentage of tire amount collected, the Fire Department is sending letters, asking donations. The money is used to attend ■/ire eonvontioii«, for tlio study of modern lire ¡lighting methods, for lunches for the men after fires and on practice nights twice a month, cleaning find pressing uniforms and sundry other items, none of which are paid for from Borough funds, but must be borne by the men themselves.
Another objection to the previous ways of raising money is that a number of undesirables were often attrac-
ted to town. Burgess- Charles A. Woods and Sewickley Council, have approved the campaign for 4Mnds. The Fire Committee of Council, .Tack .Lyon, chairman, Ralph C. Wright and (Raymond Copeland, will have complete control of the funds, which will be collected by J. ’C. Hitashew, treasurer, Borough Building, Sewickley.
The week of 'October Sth will bo Fire Prevention Week and the best way to celebrate the occasion will be to mail a. check to the local fire department. The Sewickley Fire Department with only eleven active members, plus the six specials, is the smullest volunteer organization in the State, as far as can be learned, but it is one of the best trained and most efficient, Organized in 187(5, it has always been manned and ofliccred by Sewickley Valley men.
As .an example of their training, theoretic«] fires are 'fought' in advance on practice nights «everywhere there is a, serious lire hazard, so that when a live does break out, the men know just how
best to combat it. In tlio letter asking for contributions, Raymond -D. Copeland, president of council, «writes, “Our Fire Fighters are your friends and neighbors; you sound the alarm aaid they guarantee to be on their way to your house, night or 'day, in three minutes or less, ready to give you the best fire service in the state, and, if need be, will risk their lives to save yours or a member of your family."
Wade Baltz Not in the above picture
The Dravo Chorus at the High School
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