By Len Barcousky
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania)
Copyright 2006 P.G. Publishing Co.
Firefighting is something of a family tradition in Saxonburg.
Charlie Blakeley, 91, joined the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Co. 70 years ago.
He volunteered, in part, because he was influenced by his father-in-law, Aaron Bachman, the department’s first chief who served in that post for 27 years.
Mr. Blakeley’s late son, Donald, enjoyed going out on fire calls with his grandfather. His son-in-law, Tom Sweesy, has been assistant chief, and the current chief, Gary Cooper, is Mr. Bachman’s grandson.
On Saturday, the 60-member department will mark its 75th anniversary with an afternoon open house and equipment demonstrations.
Chartered in March 1931, the Butler County company started with a single piece of equipment: a hose reel that had to be pulled by firefighters. One of the first blazes the volunteers faced was at a chicken coop on the former Zoller farm near the western edge of Saxonburg, Mr. Blakeley recalled.
The first meetings were held in the Bachman garage, said Mr. Blakeley’s wife, Lucille, 87, and her father responded to fire calls in his own car.
Now, the company’s equipment includes a $750,000 ladder truck that can raise a 4-foot-by-6-foot platform almost 95 feet, according to fire company President Chuck Lewis.
The ladder truck helps the volunteers protect the 3,000 students in the South Butler County School District, the employees at Victory Road Business Park and the senior citizens living in Concordia Lutheran Ministries facilities, he said.
Families with multi-generation volunteers like Mr. Blakeley’s have become rarer, Mr. Lewis said. “People have multiple jobs, and much less time available,” he said.
Saxonburg volunteers respond to more than 300 calls each year, can attend weekly meetings and meet for at least once-a-month training. “Safety is paramount,” he said. “Everything we do is geared toward good training and safety practices.” Company members also can take fire-safety courses and receive hands-on training at Butler County Community College.
In addition, the company supports a Boy Scout Explorer program for youths ages 14 to 18. “It’s another attempt to bring in new blood,” he said.
Mr. Lewis, who has been involved with the fire company and affiliated emergency medical service for about 16 years, has seen technology improve and costs rise.
Breathing devices weigh less, offer better fit and include improved communications equipment, he said. “Meters that measure poisonous gases are lighter, more accurate and simpler to use.”
Global positioning systems are being developed that help fire chiefs and captains keep better track of firefighters and equipment, he said.
The company has an annual operating budget of about $80,000, Mr. Lewis estimated. Most of that comes from fund-raisers held by the firefighters. The company also has qualified for some state and federal aid. The new aerial platform truck, for example, was financed with a 2 percent loan provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
While Mr. Blakeley hasn’t volunteered as a hose man for many hears, he remains active in the company. “I’m around the fire hall quite a lot,” he said. “I help keep the place clean, and I do some sweeping up.”
He plans to be there Saturday to show people around the newly expanded facility.
Mr. Lewis, who grew up outside Detroit, cited several reasons why he remains involved with the local fire company.
“It’s a nice way to give back to the community, and it’s fun,” he said. “There is camaraderie among volunteers, there is an adrenaline rush [during emergency calls] and a chance to learn new technologies.
When he is not overseeing fire department operations, Mr. Lewis works as a homeland security planner for Butler County’s Department of Emergency Services.
Interest in the fire company has been passed down to a new generation in his family. His daughter, Erin, is assembling materials for a history of the department as part of a Girl Scout Gold Award project.
Some of the results of her research will be on display during the open house.