Stories
As stories about Irvona Fire Co. appear in the newspaper, we'll try to post them here as they appeared in the paper.
The date and name of the paper will be identified. As the stories begin to accumulate links will be added so the information can be read but until then they will be posted below.
The following story appeared in The Progress on Nov. 27, 2004
Doing their dad proud -
Terry Collins Sr., left, fire chief, Irvona Fire Co., and Bill Collins past fire
chief, have a total of 71 years of service with Irvona Fire Co. Their father,
William "RIP" Collins, was instrumental in helping to create the
company. They are the. only second-generation fire chiefs in the company's more
than 80-year history. (Photo by Terry Whetstone)
Irvona fire company has two
generations of fire chiefs
By Terry Whetstone
Staff Writer
IRVONA - Since the first fire company was organized in Irvona in 1923, there
have been members of the Collins family on the membership roster.
Three of those members of the Collins family have been listed
as fire chief of the company. William "RIP" Collins Sr. was the first
as he was elected chief in the late 1950s. He held the position through 1970.
In 1972, a young man named William Collins took over the position. of chief. He
became the first, and at that time, the only second generation fire chief in the
company.
"We had a lot .of new people in the company then,"
he said. "They were good. There was nothing they wouldn't tackle."
Bill Collins held the position until 1982. At that time
various men were in charge of fire and accident scenes.
In 2004, Terry Collins Sr. became another second-generation
fire chief. Terry and Bill Collins are brothers; the Collins family is still the
only one to have a second-generation chief.
In his brief tenure, Terry said his most interesting
experience was a gas well fire earlier this year. "We snuffed it out,"
he said.
"We've always been told water won’t put a gas well
fire out, but we did it; we smothered it with water. "
Both Collins brothers remember some barrels exploded and a
gas tank blew up. This created an explosion so strong it could be felt in
Ansonville and Kerrmor, about four or five miles away.
"We got a new education in gas well training that day," Terry said.
He said so far his most memorable moment was watching 25 young men receive their state certification for fire fighting.
"Training in the past wasn't what it is today;" Terry said.
"No one thought about it (fighting fires),” Bill said. “They just put water on and that was it.”
Terry noted that times are changing and there are a lot of things that can kill.
As a result, more training is required.
"There is a lot of pride in this company right
now," he said. "We have over 40 trained firefighters right now; and
they are dedicated to making it the best they can."
"The guys are always looking for training courses to
take," Bill said.
"Not everyone fights fires," Terry said. "But everyone has a job to do and they know what it is and do it without being told."
For Bill, his worst experience with the fire company was not during his time as fire chief but just after. "That's when the Hockenberry fire was," he said.
It was in the early 1980s when a fast moving, early morning fire swept through a
mobile home near Berwinsdale in Jordan Township, killing a mother and four small
children.
"That fire ruined a lot of good men," he said.
"It was so hard for them; they quit and can't fight fires again."
Both men remember their first visit to the fire hall, as
their dad carried them in to check, out the equipment. In January, Terry will
have 31 years with the company, while Bill has been a member for 40 years.
"I was Irvona's first ever junior firefighter,"
Bill said.
Together the two men have continued to help the fire company move forward.
Recently, they placed a squad into service, which includes a cascade. The
company also has items for hazardous materials incidents and rescue tools. In
addition, work has been done on
the engine.
"This year our goal is to get a tanker," Bill said.
"In the past, we had one of the largest in the county. "
That truck was in need of numerous repairs and was placed out
of service.
"We're not going to look back," 'Terry said.
"We're going forward and we're going to continue to move ahead."
Beginning with their grandfather, Bill Dotts, Bill and Terry
are third generation firefighters in the Irvona Fire Co. Also, both men have
children and nephews who have joined to make four generations of the Collins
family in the company.
"We're not just a fire company," Terry said.
"We're a family too."