I've been a member of the fire service for almost 34 years, having joined back in 1975 when I was a college student looking for something to give back to the community. When I first joined the Daniel P. Hays Hose Company of the Pleasantville Fire Department, I was amazed at how the guys stuck together; there was a atmosphere of camaraderie that I'd never seen on this scale before.
One of my earliest exposures to the "fire fighter caring for another fire fighter and their families" occurred after i'd been a member of the company approximately 2 months; "Bob", one of our more senior members had suffered a major heart attack; fortunately he survived it and on doctors orders, was confined to bed and major rest for 6 months. Bob's lawn was cut every week by one of our members; when he had to go visit the doctor or cardiac rehabilitation center, one of the members of our company was there to drive him; if his wife needed assistance shopping for groceries or handyman work around the house, one of our members was at her disposal and any other assistance that was needed one of our firefighters was there for Bob or his wife. I was impressed of us taking care of "our own" and through my life its stuck with me as a constant reminder of our duty, not only to the citizens we protect, but to ourselves and families.
Spin the dial forward to the year 2000; this was the year that I became a Freemason when I joined the ranks of the fraternity. For those of you who don't know, Freemasonry is a Fraternity which has been around for centuries and is steeped in tradition. Within three months I had completed my first degree (Entered Apprentice), second degree (Fellowcraft) and third degree (Master Mason) and i plunged head long into Freemasonry to learn the craft was well as I could and in the time since i first became a Freemason, I've moved up the ranks of the craft and am now serving my fourth term as Master Of The Lodge. How glorious it is to sit in lodge with Brothers from all walks of life where everyone is an equal no matter your profession, your name or background.
As I grew in Masonry, I became instantly aware of the comarardrie between the Brothers of the craft; it reminded me of my time spent as a firefighter in Pleasantville for over 20 years. It was then I learned that from my original company in Pleasantville (Hays Hose) there were many volunteers who were also Freemasons and I began to put two and two together. I asked some of the older Freemason members of the company about the history of the company and I found out to my amasement that at one point nearly all of the firefighters in my former company were Freemasons. That explained why our meetings were conducted so formally from meetings of the other companies within the fire district or why members faced the Captain and addressed him as opposed to the company. There were so many similiarities between the Fire Company and the Masons. As Masons we are taught to look after our Brothers and their widows and orphans as the case may be; the same was ingrained in me when i was a member of the Fire Company. Its almost unheard of in this world to see a homeless or distressed Master Mason wandering the streets; this again is because our love for our Brothers and the craft.
When I moved from Westchester County north about 55 miles to Dutchess County of course it was only natural from me to continue my service to the community by joining the local fire department. The main difference between this fire company and my old one was that there were only a few Freemasons in the department, and it was a different atomsphere from Hays Hose. Not that it was horrible, just a different feeling.
With any organization, changes do occurr; in this case over the past 10 years, we've seen more firefighters joining the ranks of Freemasonry. Our fire company now boasts 6 Master Masons and 1 Entered Apprentice. Its a long way from my old company where you had a couple of dozen Master Masons, but change does take time; I feel with the coming years more firefighters from my department will join the ranks of craft.
