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A Look Into The Brotherhood Sharing Stories With Those Who Serve

photo by Photo Provided

Tuesday January 19, 2016

By Cookie Steponaitis

It was May 1978 when best friends Chris Bushey, Bill Brown and Jim Breur decided to join the Vergennes Fire Department the same way the three of them had gone through high school-together. At that time Vergennes Fire Department was smaller in its membership numbers and was housed in the old station that had hardwood floors and six trucks coming and going out the one working bay door. Bushey, Brown and Breur were drawn in by the camaraderie and family environment and entered the fire service under the mentorship of Chief Ralph Jackman, Deputy Chief Ray Davison, P. Mike Collette, Ken Barney, Bill Plankey, Paul Turpin and others. During their careers the friends ascended up the ranks of the organization and been part of the pivotal changes in how fires are fought, equipment used and the expansion of calls and services provided by local departments.
    Jim Breur is currently entering his seventh year as Fire Chief of Vergennes Fire Department and took over from retiring fire legend Ralph Jackman in 2009. During his thirty-eight years as a member Breur has witnessed a lot of changes in the fire service and looks back on his early years in the department and smiles. “It really was on the job training,” explains Chief Breur. “Whether it was responding to car accidents, directing traffic or the implementation of the first Heavy Rescue vehicle in 1980, we were in on it.” Breur and his friends spend hours at the station learning the job and vehicles from the ground up doing their own repairs, tearing trucks down and fixing brakes, clutches or whatever needed repairing which is all a part of the learning process. Breur pauses to show a photo of the 1926 Boyer that runs and pumps water. There were always men available to show them the ropes,  and going on calls. Breur and his generation moved quickly into action.
    For those intrigued by the technology of firefighting, Breur and his counterparts have witnessed the evolution brought about in part by the Fire of 1958 which ravaged part of Main StreetVergennes. The responding thirteen departments could not get enough water from the hoses and river to put out the blaze and since then the diameter of the hose has changed and the force of the water pressure as well. Changes in fire science include the soaring cost of the tools used. For example, in 1994 VFD purchased a brand new Engine for $ 365,000. today to replace the Engine alone would cost approximately $ 400,000.
   The firemen of 1958 and 2016 are joined by a commitment to serve and fight fires that include different game plans, training and technology.
    Breur and his ACFA counterparts are trained for water rescue, mountain rescue, chemical fires and more. Because of the increased responsibilities  training has evolved into over 200 hours. Those who serve today at Vergennes Fire Department attend a minimum of 24 hours training a year. Chief Breur shared that the average for his thirty-one active firefighters is between fifty and sixty hours of training a year with some having over 100 hours.Learning from those who came before, any member of the fire department should be able to do any aspect of the job needed and Breur credits this to the willingness  to teach generations as the way most skills are passed on.  VFD averages one hundred-sixty five calls a year and responds to much more than home or structure fires. “When people dial 911 they trust that we are there to respond,” shared Chief Breur, “and that we are capable of handling the emergencies facing them. While what we have been asked to respond to has changed drastically over time, the commitment to caring for others and service is still the heart of who we are and what we do.”
    During the interview Breur’s phone went off regularly and he paused to take calls. He handles each call with a calm that seems to defy the severity of the situations and shows the years of practice of rising to the occasion, staying focused, professional and still caring. “Some see me as a laid back leader,” shared Chief Breur.  “My management style is to let my deputy chiefs and officers take the lead and then follow through with them as the situation merits. To this day I listen to the wisdom and advice of the older members of our department at fires and other calls. We are a team, not a one person department.”
    One piece of advice learned early on has proven true for Chief Breur and his friends. “I was told,” shared Breur, “that if a person joins and stays five years they are a firefighter for life.” As the members of the Addison County Fire Fighters Association gathers each year for Muster Games that advice turns into fact. The issues, challenges and benefits are the same not only for the Vergennes Fire Department but for the other Addison County departments as well.  The Muster Games are a place for fun and camaraderie and also a way to improve skills and develop speed and agility as a group. Each department is comprised mostly of veterans who have answered the call to duty more nights than they can remember, leaving dinners, birthdays, holidays and families waiting for their return. Moving forward each department faces getting new members, balancing budgets and staying ahead of the growing needs and training. But the other side of firefighting is almost unmatched. The weekends are full of training and the camaraderie almost unequaled. “I can travel anywhere in America or the world,” remarked Chief Breur, “and I have brothers and sisters. We share a bond that goes beyond helping others.” When asked what quality defines firefighters Chief Breur appeared serious and then grinned, “I guess we are a good kind of crazy,” he laughed. “We make sure that when the alarm rings we are there and ready to help, no matter when or where.”
The Valley Voice salutes all Addison County and Vermont Firefighters who on a daily basis take commitment, training, service and the word volunteer to a new level. They not only run toward what makes others run away, but they show how people of all backgrounds, walks of life and different interests can bond and create teams of people who not only save lives but serve as models of efficiency and effectiveness. Addison County has long been the gathering point of people in the fire services who lead by example, push the boundaries and laugh and cry together and go back out the next day to do it all again because they can and choose to serve. “Service above Self” is a motto that hangs on the wall at VFD, next to images that chronicle the technology, firefighters and generations who define service by action.

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