Copyright 2006 MediaNews Group, Inc. and New England Newspaper Group Inc.
All Rights Reserved
By BENNING W. DE LA MATER
The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
LEE, Mass. — It’s Sunday afternoon in this quiet New England town, and Main Street is bustling with turtle-slow traffic.
It seems to be moving extra slow this day. Maybe it’s because of those five candy-apple-red beauties glistening in front of Central Fire Station. Firefighters douse them with frothy suds and cold blasts of clean water.
Passers-by slow and smile. Children with Kool-Aid-blue eyes gawk and point.
The fire trucks are getting a wash for today’s Memorial Day parade, which kicks off a series of events that feature the Lee Fire Department, currently celebrating its 150th year.
May 16, 1856, marked the first public meeting to discuss the subject of buying an engine for the town and forming a department. It was done out of necessity and jealousy -- the East Lee boys had a hand-pumping engine since 1855 and the Central Village folks couldn’t be upstaged.
In an ironic twist, the meeting place, Elbridge Hall, was destroyed a year later in the “Big Fire of 1857,” but the spirit of that first gathering — to serve the community and fight fires with something other than buckets — lives on.
It is found in the service of sons of sons of sons of volunteer firefighters, such as Tony and Adam Giarolo, 21-year-old twin brothers whose grandfather, Ottavio Giarolo, served decades as fire chief.
It is in Sunday morning breakfasts held at the firehouse each week, where cook Edward North fries up some of the best morning grub in South County.
It is in the competition of yearly firemen’s musters and on the second floor of the firehouse — a virtual museum, where photos of past firefighters and antique equipment adorn mantels and walls.
"(Being a firefighter) here is something special,” said Tony Giarolo, now with three years of service. “It’s something I always wanted to do — to be just like my grandfather.”
Capt. Bill DeFreest said that, although only the officers receive a small stipend for service, the volunteers are paid back in camaraderie and a sense of belonging. The firehouse serves as a sort of clubhouse, where people gather for holiday parties and men discuss the local happenings of the day.
“It’s a generational thing,” said DeFreest, whose father, Walter DeFreest, served for 42 years. “The traditions have always been passed down.”
There are 65 men on the roster, 45 of whom are active. They have never lost a firefighter in the line of duty, but there are “lots of sleepless nights,” said Deputy Chief Alan Sparks.
One of the worst fires the department faced was the 1932 blaze that destroyed the Eaton-Dikeman Mill. Chief Arthur Pease told a newspaper reporter, “Might as well have poured water on hell fire.”
Some of the Lee firefighters have been showcased in photographs in a New York City Art gallery as part of photographer Gregory Crewdson’s exhibits, with firefighters pretending to fight a blaze.
There’s even a photograph of a black wildcat on the side of one of the trucks, harkening to the high school’s mascot.
And if you are a member of the Fire Department, you have a nickname. Tony Giarolo’s is “Vinny,” an over-the-top Italian reference, and DeFreest’s is “Doc,” a reference to his EMT days.
There’s even a bit of scandal in the 150 years of history: A 21-year-old woman filed sexual discrimination charges against the department in 1986 after she was denied entry. She was later asked to join, did so, but stepped down after a short tenure.
DeFreest said the department welcomes women, if they don’t mind sharing the lone bathroom.
Oh, and by the way: The first hand-pump engine the department purchased, the one that was pulled by manpower to fires in the 1800s, was purchased for $1,500 that first year.
It’s called the “Water Witch,” and it is still proudly pulled in parades today, standing in memory of all those who have served Lee.