Before the conveniences of technology, fire engineers and officers would use speaking trumpets to amplify their voices over the noise and commotion at a fire scene to direct the company in effectively fighting the blaze, according to a city of Bowling Green press release.

On Tuesday, retired Bowling Green firefighter Stuart Warner presented the city of Bowling Green with an 1850s fire trumpet that had previously belonged to the Bowling Green Fire Division. Warner had been a volunteer firefighter student for Bowling Green in 1968 when the department was planning to utilize old memorabilia as a weathervane. As a favor to a colleague, he saved this historic fire trumpet, but had forgotten about it while serving in the army.

A few years ago, while going through his collection, Warner found the trumpet and decided, “this belongs back in Bowling Green.” 

Warner has been a long-time collector and restorer of antique fire apparatuses, toys, and memorabilia. His restorations, including a 1919 Cedar Point fire engine, are on display at the Port Clinton Aviation Museum.

Fire Chief Bill Moorman greatly appreciated this donation. “This is a piece of Bowling Green history we don’t normally see,” the chief stated. “It is nice to welcome it back home.” 

The Bowling Green Fire Division, which was established in 1834, is quite proud of its history as historic pictures and memorabilia decorate the walls of the Court Street Fire Station. While the fire trumpet has not been a practical tool for fire stations for many years, many still pay homage to its important past. Today the Bowling Green Fire Division uses collar pins with increasing numbers of trumpets to indicate rank. Lieutenants wear pins with one trumpet, captains wear pins with two, battalion chiefs receive three, the deputy chief wears a pin with four crossed trumpets, and the Fire Chief wears a pin with five. 

While Chief Moorman sees great value in this piece of history, the Bowling Green Fire Division will continue to rely on MARC’s radios to communicate during emergencies. The Bowling Green Fire Division plans to display the fire trumpet and other historical items in a display case once a new fire station is constructed.

Construction of the new West End fire station has yet to begin but it will need roughly another $3 million to bring it to life, according to Newburyport (MA) officials, Newburyportnews.com reported.

The city council in 2021 unanimously approved a $5.9 million bond order to bankroll the design and construction of a new, roughly 6,800-square-foot emergency services facility to replace the aging John F. Cutter Jr. Fire Station on Storey Avenue, the report said.

The project is expected to go out to bid in March but a city official said a recent cost analysis has shown that it will need millions of dollars more to get the job done, according to the report.

The initial $5.9 million bond order would need to be rescinded and a new $9.19 million bond order would take its place, a city official said.

A new bond request will receive a first reading from the city council Monday before being referred to the Budget and Finance Subcommittee, the report said.

Chief Concerns Richard Marinucci

Every year, the topic of this column is a prediction of what may be ahead for the fire and emergency services in the coming year.

Admittedly, my ability in this area is very limited. I am not sure how any of my previous predictions panned out. That may be a good exercise some day when I have some spare time to look at it. In the meantime, I will try my best to look into the crystal ball and make some educated guesses. There are some easy ones. The fire service will continue to debate the competing cultures of extinguishment and safety (though they really are not mutually exclusive) because we always need something to disagree on. And, of course, we all know that FDIC International 2023 will be the biggest and best one yet. But you don’t need me to tell you that.

One way to look to the future is to examine the past. What are some of the things that were initiated in the previous years but still need work? We may even look further back to see how previous issues came about. Though we are not likely to face the exact same thing, we can learn from history, both pro and con. Another option is to look at other industries in the public and private sectors. While some may contend that the fire service is stuck in a time warp and does not change a great deal (we have all heard about “a couple of hundred years of tradition, unimpeded by progress”), I don’t agree and could offer many examples. Yet, there are things we can learn from outside our business.

Continued progress will be made in the areas of firefighter health and wellness, both physical and mental. As we gain more knowledge with respect to issues affecting firefighters, appropriate changes will be made. As an example, we are seeing more and more research regarding the relationship of firefighting and exposure to carcinogens. Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified a couple of cancers as Group 1, demonstrating a direct link to two cancers and firefighters. According to the IARC, mesothelioma and bladder cancer demonstrate sufficient evidence for cancer in humans. There are also five other cancers with limited evidence. This will lead to more research and pursuit of solutions that can help continue to minimize the risks associated with the job.

Staying on this topic, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will continue to ramp up the National Fire Registry (NFR). The purpose is to better track the incidences of cancer in firefighters and more closely make the connection to various forms of this debilitating disease. The end result offers more options for prevention and treatment. Firefighters are encouraged to participate and, through the efforts of many, we can expect a large number of firefighters to get involved. After all, it is in their best interests.

When many of the practices for reducing exposures to carcinogens were introduced, some organizations and individuals were not particularly supportive. That will continue to change. I am very encouraged as I travel around to see so many taking this seriously and changing operations. Departments are using their self-contained breathing apparatus throughout the entire phase of fire extinguishment, recognizing the threats to the health of firefighters. They are finding funds for second sets of gear. They are expanding on their decontamination processes. They are looking closer at cancer screenings for early detection. They are not accepting excuses and are putting health and wellness, in the short and long term, ahead of the old school thinkin

Rosenbauer—Roseville (MI) Fire Department pumper. Commander cab and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engine; Rosenbauer NH 1,500-gpm pump; 750-gallon polypropylene water tank. Dealer: Bob Colter, Emergency Vehicles Plus, Holland, MI.

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