In
MONTH
the Fort Washington
Fire Company responded to:
50 Alarms
Averaging 15.3
responders per call
Totaling
310
responder hours
For All of 2005 the Fort
Washington Fire Company Responded to:
601 Alarms
Averaging 18 responders per call
Totaling 4982 responder hours
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Profile Of The Month
By
Andy Rathfon
Each month we profile one of
the many Volunteers that make up the Fort Washington
Fire Company. This month we are highlighting
Herbert Garrett
Meet Herbert "Spike" Garrett
Born May 18, 1929, Herbert “Spike” Garritt was the
youngest of three children, having two older
sisters. As the Garritt family resided on Ambler
Road, in Upper Dublin Township, Spike attended
Ambler High School, graduating in 1947. After
graduation, Spike entered the workforce as a
carpenter, a trade which he had been studying since
he was fourteen years old. As a carpenter, Spike
built and or assisted in building many structures in
and around the Upper Dublin area. For instance,
Spike helped erect the Springfield Library on Paper
Mill Road and assisted in the formation of the
foundation on the office building at the corner of
Twining Road & Limekiln Pike. Spike was also
frequently contracted by Bell Telephone for various
jobs.
In 1948, shortly after graduating from Ambler High,
Spike married his high school sweetheart Helen
Myers. Spike and Helen had three children, Herbert
Jr., Douglas, and Gale. In 1954, after living
several years in Prospectville, the family moved
into 305 Madison Avenue, a house that Spike built
from scratch with his own two hands. Spike and
Helen were married for fifty six years before she
passed away in 2004.
At the age of fourteen, Spike began running calls
with the Wissahickon Fire Company, where his father
was the Assistant Chief. Spike ran with Wissahickon
from 1943 to 1950, before moving out of the area.
After settling into his newly constructed house on
Madison Avenue, Spike joined the Fort Washington
Fire Company No.1 in 1955. Spike served as a
firefighter and driver for thirty nine years before
retiring in 1994. During his tenure as a member of
the fire company Spike served on the Property
Committee and was extremely active in the
development and construction of the Training Grounds
on Twining Road. Spike can now be found serving
actively on the Kitchen Committee preparing meals
for hungry firefighters.
Spike recalls his first fire as a fully involved
barn located on the property of the William Penn Inn
at the corner of Sumneytown Pike and Route 202.
Spike remembers responding to the call on
Wissahickon’s Autocar being driven by his father.
As they were responding up Sumneytown Pike they were
passed by Fort Washington’s Ford being driven by Art
Haggar. Not wanting to be beat to a fire in his
first due, Spike’s father put the petal to
the metal and passed Fort’s engine. Spike recalls
that this fire, due to the performance of he and
several other teenagers, prompted both Fort
Washington and Wissahickon to consider creating a
Junior Firefighter program.
Spike
recanted his account of the Nesbit Apartment fire, a
call which he considers to be his most memorable.
Spike explained that it was Christmas Eve and
bitterly cold. With all of the hose lines frozen,
battling the fire proved to be a difficult task. As
the fire was extinguished and the smoke cleared, it
was clear that numerous families had lost all of
their belongings, including their Christmas gifts.
Being a
driver for nearly thirty years with the Fort
Washington Fire Company No.1, Spike has driven a
plethora of apparatus. However, his favorite truck
was the 1951 Mack as it was the “fastest and
easiest” piece of fire apparatus that he ever
drove. While Spike no longer drives trucks or dons
fire gear, he continues to be an inspiration to all
those that are active. He can always be relied upon
to share an incredible story or lend guidance to
those who inquire. Lastly, his legacy is, and will
continue to be, his skilled craftsmanship that can
be seen all over the grounds of the Fort Washington
Fire Company No.1.
_______________________________
Help Wanted
In 2007 we want to add 6 additional Firefighters to
our rolls. If you are interested contact
Chief Newhall.
We will provide all the necessary training.
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If you
know someone who would enjoy receiving our
newsletter, click on the "Forward email" link at the
bottom of this newsletter to send them a copy with a
personal note from you.
_______________________________
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This is one of a series of newsletters from the Fort
Washington Fire Company No.1 in an effort to keep
the citizens and taxpayers of Upper Dublin informed
about the many and varied activities carried on by
our organization. Anyone may opt out of receiving
these e-mailed newsletters by clicking on the
unsubscribe link at the bottom of this Newsletter.
In each newsletter we will endeavor to provide
information that is informative, useful and even
entertaining. |
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Teaching
Fire Safety to Children
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By
Howard Schmuckler
Children playing with fire cause hundreds of deaths
and thousands of injuries each year. Preschoolers
are most likely to start these fires, typically by
playing with matches and lighters, and are most
likely to die in them.
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Tragically, children five
and under are twice as likely to die in fires as
are older children and adults.
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Most of the people killed
in child-playing fires are under 5, and such
fires are the leading cause of fire deaths among
preschoolers.
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Roughly two out of
every three child-playing fires -- and three out
of four associated deaths and injuries --
involve matches or lighters. However, children
also start fires by playing with candles,
fireworks, stoves and cigarettes.
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Among fatal home fires
started by children playing with fire, seven out
of 10 involve children igniting bedding,
mattresses, upholstered furniture or clothing.
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Children who start fires
may be children in crisis, with the fires acting
as cries for help from stressful life
experiences or abuse, according to studies of
fire-setting behavior.
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How
did that spotty black and white dog known as a
Dalmatian come to be associated with fire fighting?
Dalmatians have been around for about 600 years. So,
to understand how the Dalmatian became the
number-one firehouse mascot in England and the
United States, we must take a long look back in
history.
The exact time and location of
the dog's origin are unknown. However, because
Dalmatians appear in an Italian wall painting dated
about 1360 A.D. and because these spotted dogs were
named after Dalmatia, an Adriatic coastal region,
one may assume that they originated somewhere in
this area. But, it wasn't until 1780 when the name
"Dalmatian" was used in the English language.
Weighing 25 to 55 pounds and
standing 19 to 23 inches high, the Dalmatian was the
perfect size to serve as a coach dog. (In fact, in
Great Britain, Dalmatians are still nicknamed
"English coach dogs" and "plum pudding dogs.") The
Dalmatian is a very physical breed, with a strong,
muscular body, and able to run great distances
without tiring.
The Dalmatian also has what
seems to be a natural calming effect on horses. This
trait about the breed was seen very early on, and
soon the Dalmatian was identified with horses.
Possibly horse mounted warriors or hunters first
used the breed in their activities. During the 17th,
18th, and 19th centuries when the mode of travel was
by horse or by carriage, the Dalmatians became a
society dog, and trained to run along side women's
carriages. They became known as Coach dogs or Ladies
dogs because of this. In fact, the term coaching is
referring to how the Dalmatian will take up position
just off the side and towards the rear of a horse
and run with them.
In the
1700's, Dalmatians were used to protect horses that pulled English
stagecoaches. Typically two Dalmatians would run next to the horses
as they pulled the coach. When other dogs tried to run out and scare
the horses, the Dalmatian team would chase them away. Over the
years, Dalmatians formed a close bond with horses. During this time,
horse theft was very common. Because of the potential for theft,
stagecoach drivers would typically sleep in a hammock strung between
two stalls where they would watch for thieves. However, because of
the bond between the Dalmatians and the horses, the driver could
sleep in a hotel or house if he owned a Dalmatian. Why? Because the
Dalmatians would sleep with the horses and guard against horse
theft.
It is during the era of horse drawn fire apparatus that the
Dalmatian becomes forever tied to the Fire Service. These fire house
horses were required to spend hours at a time at a fire scene, or
hours inside the fire house waiting for a call, and despite many
disbeliefs, these fire house horses were not broken down old hags,
but fine spirited horses. The Dalmatian became the horses pet as it
were, to help keep them calm. There are many reports and stories of
seeing a fire team rushing to the scene of a call, with a
Dalmatian or two running between the horse teams.
Once on the scene of the call, the Dalmatian took over as guard dog,
insuring that nothing was
stolen from the apparatus. The Dalmatian is a very loyal breed to
its owners, and an admirable
foe when challenged. Because of the dog/horse bond, the Dalmatian
easily adapted to the firehouse in the days of horse-drawn fire
wagons. Since every firehouse had a set of fast horses to pull the
pumper, it became common for each group of firefighters to keep a
Dalmatian in the firehouse to guard the firehouse and horses. When
the alarm came in, the Dalmatian led the way for the horse-drawn
pumper. In this way, the Dalmatian became the firefighters'
companion and a symbol of the fire service. Today, Dalmatians are
still found in many firehouses in England, Canada, and the United
States.
Because of this loyalty, the Dalmatian continued in the Fire Service
once the horses were replaced with mechanical apparatus.
Today, in many large cities, the Dalmatian is the guard dog of the
fire truck while at the scene of fires and rescues. In its long
history in the Fire Service, there are also reports of how the
Dalmatian has rescued trapped firefighters or victims. Overall, the
Dalmatian is a brave and valiant dog.
- Borrowed from Texas City Fire Fighters Local 1259,
http://www.local1259iaff.org/
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