Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association Explained

The Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association is an organization established to assist the volunteer fire companies of the state of Delaware.

History

The Delaware Volunteer Fireman's Association can be traced to a meeting in January 1921. Several firemen from throughout the state of Delaware met in Milford to establish a state fireman's association. The Carlisle Fire Company of Milford was authorized to begin the process to form the association. Notices were to be sent to all volunteer fire companies throughout the state, asking them to send two delegates to a meeting at Milford on February 24, 1921, although some newer companies were left out, such as the newly formed Ellendale Vol. Fire Company, the next company south of Milford, which had been formed in April 1920.

The state of Delaware releases an audit each year on the costs and savings of the volunteer fire departments in the state. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012 it was estimated that the volunteer fire departments in the state saved the taxpayers more than $289,000,000.^[1]

Department	City	Delegate 1	Delegate 2
Dover Fire Department	Dover, Delaware	Alonzo W. Clifton	Sam H. Carson
Georgetown Fire Company	Georgetown, Delaware	Joseph G. Green	Thomas B. Pepper
Harrington Fire Company	Harrington, Delaware	James L. Harmistead	Warren T. Moore
Laurel Fire Department	Laurel, Delaware	M. T. Calloway	W. T. Bennett
Lewes Fire Company	Lewes, Delaware	F. W. Williams	T. R. Duffel
Volunteer Hose Company	Middletown, Delaware	W. R. Gary	Edward S. Jones
Milton Fire Company	Milton, Delaware	Samuel Fithian	R. B. Banning
Citizens Hose Company	Smyrna, Delaware	Harry Collins	John D. Morris
Carlisle Fire Company	Milford, Delaware	James P. Pearce	R. E. Pettyjohn

The first resolution was adopted at the first meeting:

"Resolved, that we, the delegates of the Volunteer Fire Companies in the State of Delaware, in convention assembled in order to form a more perfect organization, establish harmony, insure prosperity and success, obtain and compile statistics concerning the practical working of various apparatus, cultivate fraternal fellowship among the companies and promote the best interest of the Volunteer Firemen of Delaware, do hereby form an organization to be known as the Delaware State Volunteer Firemen's Association."

With the delegates from the nine companies present, the officers were elected and a set of by-laws was adopted.

The first regular convention was held on July 1, 1921, at the Laurel Fire Department, with thirteen companies being represented. The association has continued to hold conventions regularly each year with the exception of 1942–1944, when gatherings were restricted by World War II to executive meetings. Today, all 60 volunteer fire companies in the state are members of the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association. The Wilmington Fire Department, Delaware's only paid municipal fire department, is an associate member.^[2]

On January 20, 2009, the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association marched in the inauguration parade for President Barack Obama as a guest of Vice-President Joseph Biden of Delaware who is an honorary member and President Emeritus of the D.V.F.A. Five members from all 60 departments were invited to march in the parade, led by the marching band of the Citizen's Hose Company of Smyrna.

Presidents

The president of the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association is elected to a 1-year term, beginning in September at a presentation at the annual conference. The presidency is on a rotating basis between Delaware's three counties, Sussex, Kent, and New Castle, with the representatives from the other two counties being the first and second vice-president based on when they will become president in the rotation. There was no president in 1942 and 1943 due to World War 2.^[3]

Year(s) Fire Department Firefighter 1921 - 1923 Carlisle Charles E. Varney 1924 & 1925 Volunteer Hose Edward S. Jones 1926 Lewes G. Clifton Maull 1927 Citizen's Hose Harry Collins 1928 Delmar John E. McClaine Jr. 1929 Cranston Heights Robert Croes 1930 Robbin's Hose Warren W. Pettyjohn 1931 Laurel Elbert C. Bailey 1932 Five Points John N. Jordin 1933 Camden-Wyoming J. Elmer Haddaway 1934 Lewes Samuel C. Pierce 1935 Mill Creek Walter Hubert 1936 Cheswold Willard D. Boyce 1937 Seaford Reuben A. Steward 1938 Talleyville Howard Sheldon 1939 Clayton Lewis A. Walker 1940 Bridgeville Leroy B. Truitt 1941 Christiana John W. Moore 1944 Harrington Frank C. O'Neal 1945 Lewes Herald Brittingham 1946 & 1947 Holloway Terrace Fred Brown 1948 Delmar E. Bloxem Dougherty 1949 Mill Creek Layton C. Baynard 1950 Clayton Fred E. Burke 1951 Rehoboth Beach Edgar S. Stayer 1952 Talleyville George W. Duncan 1953 Cheswold John W. Bamberger 1954 Ellendale Curtis Ennis 1955 Elsmere Charles Jones 1956 Camden-Wyoming Charles Jester 1957 Laurel Granville T. White

Year(s) Fire Department Firefighter 1958 Wilmington Manor C. Wesley Robinson 1959 Harrington Paul Neeman 1960 Selbyville James E. Wilgus 1961 Holloway Terrace John V. Ryan Jr. 1962 Frederica Zora B. Tatman 1963 Seaford William J. Hines 1964 Townsend Clarence Schwatka 1965 Citizen's Hose E. Reynolds Bradley 1966 Lewes William T. Lowe 1967 Cranston Heights Emmanuel J. Harkins 1968 Felton Roland Neeman 1969 Greenwood Arthur L. Jones 1970 Talleyville Thomas E. Marshall 1971 Cheswold Elbert C. Golder Sr. 1972 Laurel David B. Joseph 1973 Odessa Arthur I. Guessford 1974 Felton William J. Paskey Jr. 1975 Greenwood Ralph T. Hynson 1976 Minquas John E. Cunningham Jr. 1977 Hartly Morris W. King 1978 Lewes E. James Monihan Jr. 1979 Christiana Raymond H. McCall 1980 Citizen's Hose Richard E. Ennis 1981 Frankford John Bare 1982 Elsmere William G. Walton Sr. 1982 - 1983 Clayton William R. Carrow 1983 - 1984 Rehoboth Beach Richard C. Mitchell 1984 - 1985 Mill Creek Lawrence E. Mergenthaler 1985 - 1986 South Bowers Thomas V. Baker Sr. 1986 - 1987 Laurel Clifford F. Lee

Year(s) Fire Department Firefighter 1987 - 1988 Aetna Hose, Hook, & Ladder Robert Sweetman 1988 - 1989 Hartly Frank King 1989 - 1990 Frankford Walton A. Johnson Jr. 1990 - 1991 Holloway Terrace Ed Barlow 1991 - 1992 Magnolia George A. Diamond 1992 - 1993 Laurel Elmer Steele 1993 - 1994 Talleyville Harry Warner 1994 - 1995 Hartly J. Allen Metheny Sr. 1995 - 1996 Milton Lynn Rogers 1996 - 1997 Minquadale Joseph Hojnicki Sr. 1997 - 1998 Magnolia Donald Knight 1998 - 1999 Seaford Mike Vincent 1999 - 2000 Aetna Hose, Hook, & Ladder Steven Austin 2000 - 2001 Clayton James L. Cubbage Jr. 2001 - 2002 Milton Dale Callaway 2002 - 2003 Delaware City Jasper H. Lakey 2003 - 2004 Carlisle Marvin Sharp 2004 - 2005 Selbyville Ray Stevens 2005 - 2006 Odessa Ken Pyle 2006 - 2007 Citizen's Hose Alan Robinson 2007 - 2008 Seaford Ron Marvel 2008 - 2009 Elsmere Warren Jones 2009 - 2010 Clayton Kevin Wilson 2010 - 2011 Memorial William Tobin 2011 - 2012 Brandywine Hundred Charles W. Frampton, Jr. 2012 - 2013 Dover Charles Boyer 2013 - 2014 Seaford Richard Toulson 2014 - 2015 Hockessin Anthony Guzzo 2015 - 2016 Farmington Joseph Zeroles 2016 - 2017 Ellendale Ted Walius

Fireman of the Year Award

Year^[4] Fire Department Firefighter 1968 Wilmington Manor George I. Cochran Jr. 1971 Five Points Donald J. Zulinksi 1971 Five Points John J. Jones 1974 Cheswold James R. Roy Sr. 1976 Hartly Newlin E. Wood Sr. 1977 Harrington Paul Neeman 1978 Frederica Zora A. Tatman 1981 Talleyville Thomas E. Marshall 1981 Citizens Hose Bruce C. Ennis 1982 Frankford LeRoy V. Ryan Sr. 1983 Holloway Terrace John V. Ryan Jr. 1984 Rehoboth Beach Thomas S. Calhoun 1985 Citizens Hose Richard E. Ennis 1986 Hartly Morris W. King 1987 Gumboro Milton J. Niblett 1988 Millville William J. Quillen 1989 Mill Creek Lawrence E. Mergenthaler 1990 Millsboro J. Ralph Brittingham 1991 Lewes G. Edward Wyatt 1992 Clayton William R. Carrow

Year Fire Department Firefighter 1993 Townsend Clarence Schwatka 1994 Minquadale Joseph Hojnicki Sr. 1995 Delaware City Charles Neel 1995 Frankford Walton A. Johnson Sr. 1996 Ellendale Elmer Ennis 1997 Clayton Kevin L. Wilson 1997 Marydel Albert V. Lane Jr. 1998 Hartly J. Allen Metheny Sr. 1999 Dover Carleton E. Carey Sr. 2000 Felton Roland Neeman 2001 Houston Carroll B. Jester 2002 Seaford Norman L. Tate 2003 Aetna Hose, Hook, & Ladder Charles Wollaston 2003 Christiana Raymond H. McCall 2004 Felton William J. Paskey Jr. 2005 Millsboro Norman L. Betts 2006 Clayton J. Wallace Hudson 2007 Bethany Beach Hal Barber

Notes and References

1. Web site: Archived copy . 2013-08-22 . 2015-10-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151022120312/http://www.millcreekfireco.org/documents/5/AuditorReport9-2012.pdf . dead .
2. Web site: History - Delaware Volunteer Fireman's Association . 2008-09-14 . 2008-09-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080909120722/http://www.dvfassn.com/history.cfm . dead .
3. Web site: Delaware Volunteer Fireman's Association . 2008-09-15 . 2008-09-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080924180013/http://www.dvfassn.com/pastpresidents.cfm . dead .
4. Web site: Awards - Delaware Volunteer Firefighters Association.