NorthJersey.com
TOTOWA, N.J. — When Valentine Cholminski first started fighting fires in the 50s with the Totowa Volunteer Fire Department, all he and the other firefighters had to wear at that time were a hat, a pair of boots and a raincoat.
“You’d have to have your boots pulled up,” Cholminski recalled noting that “your coat saved you most of the time.” Firefighters typically went to a fire scene in groups of three, according to Cholminski, with a nozzle ready to put out any type of blaze regardless of how big or small. Once inside a burning building, the firefighters had to feel the wall with their hands.
“In the old times, I learned a lot about the feel of the walls,” Cholminski explained. “As you go up the stairs or into a room, you run your hand over it.
Full story: Totowa volunteer firefighter receives accolade for 60 years of service