~ THE 1980's ~

During the eighties, under Chief McCarthy, three new pieces of equipment and three smaller vehicles were purchased. Thirty-three men were hired and the trucks changed back to traditional red. The department was eventually integrated in 1985 with the hiring of a black firefighter. There have been three hired to date.

In 1986, there was sadness in the Department when two brother firefighters died. Roger Benish, 39, suffered a fatal heart attack in June and John (Jack) V. Lyons,  53 died as a result of an accident in November.

Local 1714 Firefighters Union staged another picket over a contract problem, but it was soon resolved.

Chief McCarthy retired on January 21,1989, after nine years of duty and Edward L. Bigelow, 34, took over as Commander-in-Chief on January 5. This position is accepted with great pride.

With Chief Bigelow in office less than two years, much has been added. A new rescue truck was added in 1989 along with new hands-on training for the men, ranging from defensive driving courses to hazardous material classes with classroom and actual scenarios. Much of the training is in house because of budget cuts, but training goes on daily.

The Department has added eight new men under Chief Bigelow's administration, bringing the permanent force to 74. The Department is staffed with many professional fields ranging from paramedic services to scuba divers, hazardous material technicians, fire prevention officers, auto extrication personnel, high angle rescue team and more. The nineties have just begun and I'm sure they'll be continual improvements. There is one thing I forgot to mention:

"We still make house calls. "

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