About every decade or so the Active Member's of the Nanuet Fire Department stop to celebrate what we like to call "Old Timers’ Day" Where every living life member is honored and thanked for the years of dedicated service they have provided to the community and the fire department. Life Member's are member's who have successfully completed 20 years of service to the department and are considered member's for life.
On Sunday October 8th the membership gathered at the new Old Middletown Road firehouse to hold this important occasion. With moving into our new home this past summer it was the perfect time to bring together the past and the present for a day of thanks. With the oldest "old timer" on hand with as much as 66 years of service to the newest one with 20 years and everyone in between it was the perfect day for old stories, football and of course the amazing sit down meal served to the life member's by the current active member's.
Chef Brian O'Toole with help of many had prepared a surf and turf style dinner consisting of lobster tails, steak, baked potato with all the fixings and onion rings to top it all off. "These men deserve this" O'Toole said. "They've dedicated years of service to make this department what it is today, the least we can do is serve them a great meal to show our appreciation"
In addition to all the old photo albums, the company's retired antique 8-750 a 1954 Ward La France pumper was on hand for photos and each "old timer" received a commemorative t-shirt.
There are currently 39 living life member's:
Mike Bergen - 25 years of service Brian Booth - 32 years of service Matthew Bowler - 27 years of service Fred Braband - 48 years of service Rich Colwell - 33 years of service Paul Demoa - 65 years of service Thomas Donohue - 22 years of service Patrick Duffy - 48 years of service John Fickes - 49 years of service James Gallagher - 30 years of service John Gallagher - 43 years of service Robert Galyon - 39 years of service Domenick Giovinazzo - 31 years of service Gregory Hecker - 29 years of service Joseph Helmke - 25 years of service Randy Hunter - 41 years of service Arthur Juni III - 27 years of service Joseph Keyrouse - 44 years of service Charles Koester III - 44 years of service Christopher Koester - 20 years of service Michael Krist - 33 years of service Robert Lacy - 51 years of service John Maloney (Chaplain) - 35 years of service Michael Mattera - 24 years of service Ted Meserole - 47 years of service James Miele - 66 years of service Gordon Miller - 21 years of service William Monohan - 60 years of service Steve Ong - 43 years of service Vincent Pacella - 40 years of service Fred Parent - 27 years of service Norman Peters - 49 years of service Edward Smith - 47 years of service Harold Straut - 40 years of service Gregory Tobin - 43 years of service Raymond Trojahn - 62 years of service Socky Trojahn - 52 years of service David Van Houten - 56 years of service Arthur Wagner - 63 years of service
With a combined total of 1,581 years of service these men have dedicated to the community and fire department they deserve the thanks for paving the way for all the member's that have come after them. And for making the Nanuet Fire Department one of the greatest department's in Rockland County. |