Volunteer firefighters take their annual Past Captains and Old Timers Night dinners very seriously, according to John Buckley, the current captain at the Webster Hose Hook & Ladder firehouse in Ansonia.
It’s a celebration of the longevity and tradition at the firehouse that is observing its 115th year. And it’s a recognition of its officers and longtime members, he said.
Finally — it’s a chance to have a good time.
“What this evening boils down to is good camaraderie,” Buckley said.
Buckley, who has been a Webster Hose volunteer firefighter for 22 years, will serve as captain until his term ends next June. Then one of the lieutenants will move up to succeed him and he will take his place alongside the fire company’s other past captains and “old timers.”
Webster Hose held this year’s observance, with prime rib on the menu, on Saturday, a social event to which the firefighters from all of Ansonia’s volunteer fire companies were invited.
One of the night’s honorees, Ed Sharkey Jr., a past captain who joined in 1962 right out of the Navy, said it has a long tradition.
“I’m going on my 50th year in the firehouse tonight, and I can always remember them doing it,” he said.
Also typical is Sharkey’s family history at the firehouse. His brother, Gene, an Ansonia Alderman, has been a member for 49 years, and his brother, Dennis, for 45 years. And his father, Ed Sharkey Sr., was a past captain as well.
Ansonia City Attorney Kevin Blake, currently 3rd lieutenant at the firehouse, has been a firefighter at Webster Hose for 33 years, longer than he’s been an attorney. His father, uncle and brother were also firefighters there, he said.
An old timer is a firefighter with more than 20 years of service at Webster Hose, and when they reach a milestone year they are feted at the Past Captains and Old Timers Night dinner.
Besides Sharkey, this year’s honorees included Doc Ennis (65 years), Bill Eaton (60 years), Don Eheman (55 years), Marty Passander (40 years), Chris Sansone (30 years), Jim Jaffer (25 years) and Joe Jeanette Jr. (20 years).
Ed Sharkey said Webster Hose was formed in 1897, when it was equipped with a hand-drawn pumper. Then James McKeon added a harness that allowed a team of horses to haul the pumper to a fire scene, which significantly improved its response capability.
In 1915, the company purchased a Locomobile motorized pumper, and the horses, Molly and Dolly, were put out to pasture. But, according to Webster Hose lore, the faithful horses continued to get excited every time they heard a fire alarm.
Currently, Webster Hose houses Engine Company 3 and Squad Attack Truck 9.
Sharkey’s firehouse history says that Webster Hose has had 49 captains to date. He said captains and lieutenants are elected by the firefighters and are in charge of firehouse operations and training.
Each firehouse also has an assistant chief, which is currently Mike Eheman at Webster Hose, and they serve under the direction of Fire Chief Ron Burgess, Sr. The chiefs are city appointees, and they are in charge at a fire scene or other emergency.
Buckley said being a volunteer firefighters requires a lot of sacrifice. They must be ready to respond to a fire or accident scene at any time of the day or night, every day of the year. They are also required to maintain the firehouse and fire trucks, and to fulfill hours of firefighter training, all of which may take them away from their families.
“They’re volunteers,” Buckley said. “They give up a lot for no money.”
The firefighters said it’s that shared sacrifice and the knowledge that they might depend on each other in a life-and-death situation at a fire that creates the bond they celebrate each year at their Past Captains and Old Timers Night dinner.
