Firefighting lore to be shared at Citizen of Year dinner

BY STACI WILSON

As a third generation United Fire Company member, Patrick Daly was born into the family business of volunteer service.

His father, Franklin, and grandfather, Charles, were lifelong firefighters and Daly has been volunteering for the past 23 years.

In a lifetime spent in the company and growing up around the firehouse, Daly has amassed a great deal of local history about the area fire companies and the volunteers that serve in them.

About 30 firefighters have dedicated over 50 years of their lives to serving the community. That service has not gone unnoticed and will be honored by the Montrose Area Chamber of Commerce at the annual Citizen of the Year dinner on Wednesday, June 15.

At the dinner, Daly will be sharing the history of the local companies. But don’t expect a dry run-down of when and how the departments were formed. Daly promises to give a more personal glimpse into local firefighting.

He plans to share “interesting stories about the dedication, ingenuity and creativity shown by the 50-year members over the years.”

With many of the volunteers in the 50-75 year age bracket, Daly said some of the men have seen the departments move from homemade fire trucks to the newest, modern computerized vehicles.

Daly said, “The scope of what we do; the training required; the amount of equipment we use has changed so much.”

And through those changes, the dedicated 50-plus year members have stuck with the service.

“It takes a special person to get up at 3 a.m. to help a total stranger,” Daly said. “And to do that for 50 years, without compensation, is above and beyond what most volunteer firefighters accomplish in their lifetimes.”

The dinner will be held at the Montrose Bible Conference main dining hall, Lake Ave., Montrose, at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $20 each and are available at Lee’s Furniture and Radio Shack, Craige’s Gifts and Florist and the Butler’s Pantry in Montrose. Tickets purchased by mail may be picked up the evening of the dinner. Please mail a check made out to the MACC to MACC Citizen of the Year, PO Box 243, Montrose, PA 18801.Reservations is available until June 10.

The public is invited to attend and help honor those who have served with and helped create the local fire departments.