Elizabethtown Kitley Fire Department – Heritage Place Museum

February 28 2017

Elizabethtown-Kitley Fire Department History

John Elizabethtown-Kitley Township Elizabethtown Kitley Fire Department, Fire Departments, Leeds and Grenville County 0

A Brief History of the Elizabethtown-Kitley Fire Department

From the very beginning to the Present

Our township is located along the St. Lawrence River and our municipality surrounds the City of Brockville, Ontario Canada. We amalgamated with our neighboring township of Kitley on January 1^st, 2001 and are now the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley and cover an area of 590 sq kilometers. We have 3 fire stations with 1 full time Fire Chief, 1 full time Administrative Assistant and 1 part time Fire Prevention Officer, along with 60 volunteer firefighters. We house 4 Tankers, 4 Pumpers, 3 Rescue units, 1 Medical Van, and 2 Club Cab Trucks.

Elizabethtown Fire Department was established in 1963 at 26 Main St. W. in the Village of Lyn, a second station was a converted two bay garage. Kitley Fire Department was established in the Village of Frankville in 1965.

The following is historical information on both Elizabethtown and Kitley Fire Departments

Who were the first members of each fire department, Elizabethtown & Kitley?

Elizabethtown

Dave McCrady-Chief Earle Miller-DC Arnold Ladd Ivan Cross

George Williams Herb Simpson Frank Willows William Murray

George Bycroft Cliff Churchill Gerald Coon Ron Flood

Allan Hanna Don Jowett Ron Murphy Alf McDonald

Norm Reynolds Don Toohey Don White Frank VanDusen

Eddy Casselman, Clarence Hoare, Don Toohey, Frank Willows, Doug Jowett, Matt Bonokoski, Herb Dewar, Jack Darling, Bill Gaskell, Huge McClintock, Don Mott, Roy Bradley, Bill Empey, Ron Cross, Joe Cirtwell

Kitley

Gerald E. Moran- Chief Gib Johnston Charlie Smith Garnet Baker

Borden Armstrong Ray Bennett James Dawson Arthur Ferguson

Allan Mercier Gerald Sands Doug Bryan James Rae J.R.

Victor Johnston Guy Johnston Marshall Davidson Ray Ireland

Gordie Brundige Ronald Eaton Basil Beaupre Gerald Lawson

Earl Sands Gerald Mercier Gerald S. Moran Jack Wilkinson

Ken Baker Jack Hanton

Who were the Fire chiefs of each fire department, Elizabethtown & Kitley?

Elizabethtown- Dave McCrady 1963-1967

George Williams 1967-1979

Don White 1979-1989

Jim Donovan 1989-2001

Kitley- Gerald E. Moran 1965-1967

Ray Ireland 1967-1989

Ken Baker 1989-2001

Elizabethtown –Kitley Jim Donovan 2001- Present

Who are the fire chiefs today, and their role and duties?

Fire Chief Jim Donovan, Deputy Fire Chief Andy Guilboard

A chief (and/or his/her designate) is the person who is ultimately responsible to Council and is appointed to deliver Fire Protection Services as set out by the municipality for the residents. They are also appointed by the Province to enforce the Fire Protection and Prevention Act and the Ontario Fire Code.

The 2017 Fire fighters are, –Barb Brownell – Fire Administration 1995-present

Doug Andress Daniel Ashe Randy Beaupre Gerry Bell

Brad Buchanan Rachel Bond Cody Burridge Donna Carty Dillon Champagne Lisa Charbonneau Jesse Dentz Mike Dunster Derrick Empey Tom Evans Adam Findlay Andrew Flood Gary Foster Dave Goguen Steven Goguen Paul Gordon Andy Guilboard Ryan Healey Aaron Heidemann Steve Helmus Derrik Hill Matt Huskinson Bill Johnston Michael Jonker Alfred Kelly Tyler Knapp David Laliberte Brian Lawson Dakota Layng Nathan Leclair David Loney Andrew Malanka Dylan Maud Alan Merkley Steve Moore Dan Noel Brian Normandin Chris Paul Zack Paul Pascal Peladeau

Eric Perrin Jeremy Renkema Michael Rowntree Jeff Sargent Chad Scott Matt Shaw Tim Slusarchuk Gerry Smith

Jeff Smith Matthew Spencer Jamie St. Pierre Owen Stevens

Scott Tedford Tim Tedford Brian Triemstra Mark Weldon Cory Wilson Matt Worden Michael Yates

Number of fire and rescue call per year?

Approximately 210 calls per year

What is the average number of hours spent attending fire and rescue call per year?

Total Hours for 2016- 9,503

How many hours are spent in training per year?

Training Hours for 2016 – 3,723.5 hours

List the awards the department has won locally, regional, provincially?

Extrication Team- The team was established in 1999 and since has competed in 13 regional competitions and 5 international competitions.

In 2008 the extrication team hosted the Eastern Ontario Extrication Competition in Frankville.

Fire Fit Team – Riverfest 2008-Placing First. 2008 Ingleside – Fastest Relay Team

2008 – Canadian Nationals- Fastest Volunteer Relay in Canada

What Fund-raising activities dose the fire department do? and what do they use the money for?

Fund Raising – Chicken BBQ, Fish Fry, MD Boot Drive

Fire Fighter’s Association

Both, the Elizabethtown and the Kitley Fire Fighter Associations still actively fund raise to assist in the purchasing of equipment, sponsoring local youth recreation activities and donating to local charities (MD). They participated in parades throughout the Counties again this year.

What is the fire department Mission Statement/Motto?

MISSION STATEMENT

The primary mission of the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley Fire & Emergency Services is to provide a range of programs to protect the lives and property of the inhabitants of the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley from the adverse effects of fires, sudden medical emergencies or exposure to dangerous conditions created by man or nature.

Our Family, Helping Yours

The above information was provided by the Elizabethtown-Kitley Fire Department

November 14 2016

Elizabethtown-Kitley Fire Department

John Elizabethtown-Kitley Township Elizabethtown Kitley Fire Department, Elizabethtown Township Ontario, Leeds and Grenville County Ontario, Lyn Ontario 0

“Edna’s Scrapbook”

is a paperback book written by Edna B. Chant and was published in 1998. Edna Chant was a reported with the “Athens Reporter” for 23 years and she is the author of four books.

Her book, which is made up of news clippings from various sources, from which we have taken excerpts, gives us a glimpse into life in our area for over a hundred year period ending with stories from 1975.

While her book covers many areas of Leeds and Grenville we have only focused on the area within Elizabethtown-Kitley Township.

Elizabethtown Fire Department

The Eizabethtown Volunteer Fire Department based at Lyn has an interesting history showing what a group of citizens can do if they put their minds to it. The project of forming a fire department was proposed at a meeting of the Lyn Community Club and on March 18, 1963 a meeting was held at the home of Arnold Ladd at which five men were appointed to form a committee to be the future Fire Department slate of officers. They were Arnold Ladd, chairman; Ivan Cross, Herb Simpson, Gerald Coon, Elton Tennant. In April a public meeting was held in the Lyn School when 24 men signed up offering their services as firefighters. The Township Council accepted these names proposed and approved the appointment of David McCrady as Fire Chief. Meetings were held every two weeks and many ways to make money were used such as dances, raffles and an auction sale. The first item of equipment purchased was a pumper truck on June 10, 1963 and they also got a 1957 oil tank and converted it to a water tank truck holding 1,300 gallons of water. The Township Council gave $1000. to purchase equipment and Fire Chief McCrady donated the land, the Township Council bought the material and the fireman did the work and a fire hall was erected. In 1964 a panel truck was purchased and by 1967 they had a new station wagon, two Scott air packs, two portable pumps, 5000 feet of hose, extension ladders, coats, hats, rubber-boots, uniforms for 25 men and they sent 14 men to attend Fire College at Gravenhurst. On September 5, 1967 Fire Chef McCrady resigned and was replaced by Deputy Chief George Williams and Ivan Cross was appointed Deputy Chief. Elizabethtown Township is justly proud of their Fire Department which now has modern radio equipment and an enlarged fire hall with a kitchen.

On July 18, 1966 a circus sponsored by the Lyn Firefighters Association was greatly enjoyed by both adults and children alike. But they were given a thrill they will never forget when one of the trapeze artists fell 50 feet from a high bar to the ground below. No net was being used. Women screamed and men jumped to their feet when Carmen Del Molion, a Spanish artist was seen to fall. She lay motionless on the ground as circus attendants rushed to her aid. She was carried to her trailer where she was attended by a doctor. It was later announced that no bones were broken but she was badly bruised and shaken up.

Kitley Fire Department

A new Kitley Fire Hall at Frankville was officially opened on July 23, 1966. Reeve Charlie Sands was master of ceremonies. Present were Reeve Borden Hutchings of North Crosby; Reeve E.A. McGregor of Westport; Reeve Wally Heffernan of Rear of Younge and Escott and Reeve Edgar Bresse of Newboro as well as Warden Donald Ferguson, Reeve Ernest Miller, Front of Younge; Fire Chief Dave McCrady, Elizabethtown; Fire Chief Edgar Fagan, Smiths Falls; Fire Chief Robert Bell, Augusta, Fire Chief Gerald Wing, Westport; members of Kitley Fire Department are Fire Chief Gerald Moran, Deputy Fire Chief Gerald Sands, Captain’s Gerald Mercier and Ray Ireland.