Miscellaneous, Bainbridge CofC Honor Firemen, 1975

Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce Honor Fireman

Nov. 29, 1975

Bainbridge Firemen Honored:  These gentlemen were honored this past Saturday at the Rock Inn by the Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce for their devoted and unselfish service to the village for the last twenty years as members of the Bainbridge Fire Department.  Seated (L-R):  W.L. Swart, John Delello, Joe Stevens, and Clifford L. Smith.  Standing (L-R):  Fire Chief Don Pixley, George Mulkins, R.E. Smith, Joe Millus, Charles O'Connor, Adrian Donahe, Milford Dyer.  Absent when the picture was taken because he was on duty at the fire station was Vic Holbert.

 

The Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce had 22 very special guests at their annual dinner that was held this past Saturday evening.  November 29, at the Rock Inn Restaurant in Mount Upton [Chenango Co., NY].  The Chamber honored 11 men and their wives who have been members of the Bainbridge Fire Department for 20 years or better.  Chamber President Clarence Pearsall and Fire Chief Don Pixley both gave very informative and glowing speeches concerning the dedicated service and devotion to duty the 11 guests and their wives have exemplified for the past twenty years.  Chief Pixley spoke about the Bainbridge Fire Department and the enormous strides it has made in the last 20 years, not only with the kind of equipment they now have, but also with some comments about some of the more memorable experiences and fires the department has been involved in.  Pixley told the audience of approximately 100 guests how the fire department has developed from 1954 when they had only 4 vehicles to the present time when they have a new building and 7 modern pieces of equipment.  The Bainbridge Fire Chief then announced that the 1975 tanker chassis had finally been delivered and that it was in the process of having its tank put on the chassis.  Pixley then commended the Board of Fire Commissioners for doing a fine job for the Bainbridge taxpayers and he told the chamber members that they can be very proud of the job the commission is doing.  Pixley then pointed out some interesting statistics such as the fact that the majority of the firemen being honored at the dinner that night had answered a total of 1,003 alarms since 1974 and had expended 14,700 man hours of their time, which is equivalent to 7 years of working every day.  Chief Pixley then thanked the Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Fire Commissioners for helping him honor the firemen with 20 years of service.  The men thusly honored were:  W.L. Swart, John Delello, Joe Stevens, Clifford L. Smith, George Mulkins, R.E. Smith, Joe Millus, Charles O'Connor, Adrian Donahe, Milford Dyer and Vic Holbert.  Each of the men will receive a pin symbolizing their 20 years of devoted service to the department from the Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce.  In Chamber business, President Clarence Pearsall announced that the President for next year's Chamber would be Tom Mattingly and he pointed out that he felt the Chamber of Commerce had an exceptional year with several new businesses coming into the community during the past twelve months.