By Ben Aguirre Jr.
The Oakland Tribune via The Contra Costa Times
NEWARK, Calif. — For 100 years, Newark has had its own Fire Department.
Even before the city incorporated in 1955 staving off a move by Fremont to include the town along the Bay as an industrial portion of that soon-to-be city men donned badges and uniforms and called themselves Newark firefighters.
But that era has come to an end.
“It’s sad, but we’re moving on to another chapter for the citizens and for ourselves,” said Newark firefighter Sean Kenison, who has served in recent years as a department historian.
Newark officials recently opted to end a century-old operation and merge with the Alameda County Fire Department.
The move, which elected officials acknowledged was a tough decision, was done to offer citizens a better level of service, they said. It also is projected to save the cash-strapped city about $500,000 a year, officials said.
The transition began several weeks ago, but became official Saturday at a ceremony that also marked the department’s 100th anniversary.
“We’re showing our past and embracing the future,” said Kenison, a member of the Newark Fire Department for nearly a decade.
The event was held at Fire Station No. 1, a building that opened in 2005 at the southeast corner of Thornton Avenue and Ash Street.
‘A bucket brigade’
That general area has been the hub of firefighting services in Newark since the days of dusty dirt roads, said Capt. Bruce Armstrong, a member of the department for more than two decades.
The department began in 1910 with Louis Ruschin the man for whom the nearby elementary school and street are named leading a group of volunteers in dousing flames.
“They were essentially a bucket brigade,” Armstrong said.
Ruschin held the title of the department’s fire chief for 23 years until passing the reins in 1933 to Newark-born Joseph Pashote.
At the time, the Fire Department’s headquarters was essentially a vast shed on the site where the large fire station stands today, Armstrong said.
But under Pashote, who also had been appointed deputy state fire marshal in 1933, the department purchased land and build the first true fire station a single-story building with a white exterior and large garage.
The building, on the northeastern corner of the Thornton and Ash, still stands, although it has been purchased by private owners and turned into a residence.
Pashote’s tenure lasted 31 years, a time that saw the purchase of the first radio communications system for a fire department in the Tri-City area, expansion of the department, creation of a second fire station at Thornton Avenue and Elm Street, and the purchase of fire engines capable of pumping water at a faster rate.
Upon Pashote’s retirement, Dean Holzgrafe became fire chief, serving from 1964 to 1971.
Following him as chief were Bud Spalding (1972-1986); Dennis Leonesio (1986-1991); Dennis Gleeson (1991-2000); Michael Preston (2001-2005) and Demetrious Shaffer (2005-2010).
Transition begins
The transition indeed marks the end of an era for the Fire Department. But while it means some change internally Shaffer loses his title and becomes a deputy fire chief for the countywide organization officials said the transition should be relatively seamless to the general public.
“For most people, they may not even notice,” Armstrong said.
Most of the day-to-day personnel will remain the same. The firefighters who have been responding to calls within the city will continue to do so.
The only differences: Firefighters will be dispatched by the countywide agency and their vehicles will bear the name of the Alameda County Fire Department.
Residents may see a difference in the event of a large-scale fire. In such instances, emergency responders will be able to more quickly and efficiently.
In the past, Newark has had a mutual aid agreement with the Fremont and Union City fire departments, meaning that the Tri-City area fire departments worked together on some calls. But now that Newark’s firefighters are a part of the countywide agency, decision-makers can more easily call in county-level assistance from other areas without having to contact other local departments first. The result could cut down response times by several minutes.
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