Ideas needed for fire station diamond jubilee

Jim Buell, 2nd Assistant Chief, Shelburne Fire Department

In 2016, your fire department will be celebrating 75 years of service to the community. We are compiling ideas to involve the community in this diamond jubilee, including working with the Boy Scouts on the Fire Safety Merit Badge, providing outreach at some of the town’s events and functions, developing an interpretive display for town meeting, and many other programs and events to mark this momentous occasion.

One thing’s for sure, we’d like you to mark Saturday, Aug. 27 on your calendar for the Shelburne Fire Department’s 75th Celebration. Held on the weekend before Labor Day and just before school starts, the open house and barbecue picnic will give you and your family an opportunity to help celebrate the fire department and the community you love. We’re even trying to get a parade organized. Stay tuned for more details.

Shelburne Fire has a long history of quality maintenance of its equipment. In fact, we still own the very first fire truck purchased by the department: a 1941 Buffalo pumper on a GMC chassis. Old Engine 1 still runs, but needs a little TLC, including a tune up, a new paint job and a good polishing of all the brass and chrome.

We need a little help to get the truck ready for the party on Saturday, Aug. 27. People have already stepped up to preserve the truck’s history. A volunteer is restoring the original wooden ladder and some of the veteran firefighters in town are sharing oral histories with us to share with future generations. Preserving Old Engine 1 and its memories will be a lasting legacy of the 75th Anniversary.

As the year comes to a close, we are always reminded that donations in December can be counted as a tax deduction in April. With that in mind, please consider helping us preserve Old Engine 1. If you wish to donate, please make out a check to: Shelburne Firefighters Association and either drop it off or mail it to Shelburne Firefighters Association, PO Box 911 Shelburne, VT 05482. Please note on your check that this is a donation to the “Old Engine 1 Fund.”

As always, your fire department is here to assist you in any way we can, and remember fire prevention and safety isn’t just one week of the year, but all 52.