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Sharing a Motto and a Way of Life with Ralph Jackman

photo provided Chief Jackman salutes the reviewing stand during the 2009 Memorial Day Parade. Driving the 1925 Boyer is VFD longtime member Mike Collette.

photo provided The Esso Station is where the massive Fire of 1958 started, changing the Vergennes downtown and Firefighting for VFD.

photo provided VFD cadet Reid Lumbra participates at a live burn practice.

photo provided Sixty-three years and going strong are Ralph & Myrle Jackman.

Tuesday August 18, 2009

By Cookie Steponaitis

    Vergennes Fire Department Chief Ralph Jackman can not remember a time when he was not involved in the fire service. Born in Bristol in 1924, Ralph’s father was in the Bristol Fire Department for over thirty years and his brother Frederick also served in the Bristol department for over twenty years. Ralph joined the Vergennes Fire Department in 1947, after returning from World War II. When he joined there were twenty members of VFD and one doctor. “We had a 1937 Dodge 300 gallon pumper and an older 1925 500 gallon pumper back then and were located behind the town hall. The siren back then was on top of what is now the Opera House and we got water any place we could, because only Vergennes had hydrants.”

    Ralph became Fire Chief in 1954 and continues to hold that position today. Now entering his fifty-fifth year as Fire Chief, Ralph has the distinction of being the longest serving Fire Chief in Vermont and possibly in America. During his tenure, the city of Vergennes has experienced tremendous growth and the Vergennes Fire Department has changed the techniques it uses in fighting fires. “We were always training,” commented the Chief, “and as early as 1955 we started going to school. We went constantly and anywhere we could get training to improve our service to the community. Earl Robbins from Fort Anne, New York was the very first fire school instructor who came to Vermont and taught a 45 hour course in Middlebury. The entire department went.”

    While most Vergennes residents have heard of the Fire of 1958, few realize the impact that it had on the city, Fire Department and even town planning. “We lost everything from Jackman Fuels to School Street in that fire,” Ralph remembered. “It brought about huge changes to the department and also to the water planning. In 1958, the Vergennes Panton Water District was created, in part to the reality that we could not pump water fast enough from the river to meet the demands of that fire. Not only did the fire change how we fought fires, it initiated a quest for constant movement toward better and more efficient equipment.”

    The Chief went on to outline the many changes that have occurred in the department since the Vergennes Fire of 1958 that include the superior training his firefighters receive today at a required 200 hours and constant recertification. The classifications of fire, special training and breathing apparatus have increased the hours necessary to learn how to fight fires. Equipment has also evolved for the department with the purchase of a Ford 1000 gallon pumper in 1968 and the addition of the Heavy Rescue Unit in1979. 1994 saw the addition of two more trucks and the department has used a ladder truck for over twenty years. “As of today, 2009,” added the Chief with a smile, “Vergennes Fire Department has five 2000 gallon pumpers and responds to on average 140 calls a year.

    With thirty- five full time members and seven cadets, VFD is operating with a full compliment of devoted firefighters. The Chief spoke with pride of all of his crew, but noted the long time service commitment of Mike Collette, Les Champine, Mike Daniels, Don Clark, Billy Brown and Jim Breur. The station that is home to trucks and the department is also a source of pride. The building was originally a gymnasium for the old Vergennes High School. “We poured a floor in it,” commented the Chief, “and it has been a very usable building with three bathrooms, a kitchen and houses all of our equipment.”

    Another perk of being involved for so many years has given Ralph the ability to watch new generations come into the department and develop the commitment and drive that has characterized the VFD for over fifty years. With a motto of “Service Above Self,” Chief Jackman has by example challenged each new group to reach inside and find the time and devotion necessary to be a VFD member. “It is a whole team effort,” he remarked. “When the community needs help, no matter the kind, we are there, day or night. We can always be called on because we have the equipment, the training and the people who care. Just the other night we took the cadets down to Basin Harbor and had a water rescue drill. They put on diving suits and it was so exciting to watch them go. No one had to ask them what to do; they were willing and excited to learn.”

    The more time you spend with the Chief makes anyone realize that his Fire Department Motto of “Service Above Self” extends to all phases of his life as well. Entering his 63rd year of marriage to his wife Myrle Ralph and Myrle raised five daughters Lynn, Christine, Cathy, Susan and Carleen and can boast about a bunch of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Ralph served in the US Armed Forces and fought in the famed Battle of the Bulge in WWII, and retired from a 27 year military career in 1971. A member of Rotary International, American Legion Post # 14, and Fraternal Order of Eagles each for over fifty years, Ralph wanted to share his latest passion which is delivering Meals on Wheels for the past seven years.  “It is just the most terrific program,” Ralph remarked. “Volunteers deliver the same routes day in and day out and I can not tell you want that means to the elderly people it serves. It is just so important to continue that work. It really makes a difference in the lives of others.”
 

   Calling Vergennes and Addison County his “home” and proud of his family and Department, the Chief issued an open challenge to those people too busy to get involved in community service. “I just wonder what they do with their time,” pondered the Chief.

   “Where does their time go and who does it help?” One thing is clear. The motto proudly worn on the sleeves of the Vergennes Fire Department uniforms is more than a statement of intent for Chief Jackman and his crew. It is a heartfelt belief that the quality of life in this town and state is the direct result of the input, energy, devotion and talents of the people who make it their own. For fifty-five years, Chief Jackman has been at the helm and has set an example that has rippled through generations in the town of Vergennes. When asked what he was proudest of, Ralph chuckled and stated, “I never overspent a budget in all my years as Chief. I always felt that the people have always supported us and have a right to quality service.”

    “Service Above Self.” A motto for a department and a statement of commitment from a man who continues to serve, motivate and lead by example. The staff of the valley Voice wishes it had a siren it could ring in honor of the Chief, but will have to settle for sharing his memories and thoughts with the community he so proudly continues to serve.

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