Under a sunny blue sky, Edgecomb citizens, first responders, firefighters and visitors from as far away as Verona, N.J., convened for the official dedication and open house of Edgecomb’s new fire station May 20.
Gathering at noon for the celebration, groups of people milled around, looking at the new building and equipment. They ate hamburgers, salad, chili, and cake, and sat at tables enjoying the shade of the fire building bays.
The event was an open house for the entire community. The building had been open to the public on Tuesday nights when the fire department was conducting its truck checks, but not everyone could take the time to see the building during the week, one firefighter said.
Edgecomb Fire Chief Roy Potter took people to see the new trucks. The fire department is the proud owner of a newly acquired 1999 tactical support unit truck, which was driven up earlier this spring. The truck has a new, digitally created image of Fort Edgecomb emblazoned on the side.
The newest truck was the pumper driven up on May 18 from Essex Fels, N. J. It is a 1990 E-1, and all the Edgecomb Fire Department had to do, said Potter, was “change the oil and paint the top of it.” The fire department bid on that truck and got it for $4600.
Edgecomb’s fire department had long used an old firehouse that was no longer able to meet the town’s needs. Although the old building had been expanded and added on to, it did not have running water, said former fire chief Tom Trowbridge.
Selectman Jack Sarmanian credited former fire chief Barry Johnston, who “got the ball rolling,” for a new station by helping obtain the land for a new station after a nine-year search. The town approved the funds for the new station, and the building was begun last year.
In honor of the open house, a group of volunteers for the fire department had organized a raffle to raise money for the department’s miscellaneous needs. Fire chief Roy Potter’s wife Karen said the department received over $3000 worth of donations to raffle off at the day’s event. By day’s end, the fire department raised $1500 from the raffle for an overall $1000 profit.
Sarmanian read the dedication: “This building is dedicated to all the volunteer Firemen who have served this Department and their Community since 1941. … It is with a sense of accomplishment and pride that the Town dedicates this new Fire Station for the betterment of the Fire Department and the Community.” The dedication will be engraved on a plaque and placed on the building, he told the crowd.
In his own words Sarmanian then said, “I’d like to thank you all. This is your fire department.”
Fire chief Roy Potter said he wanted to thank all the spouses. “I don’t think the families get enough recognition for all they do,” he said.
Sarmanian then took the ax that had been found in the wall of the old firehouse, and cut the ribbon as onlookers cheered.
