Firefighters Unite

[Steve Dallas]

For all you firefighters (and policemen!)

["prima"Donna]

I'm the daughter of a fireman...does that count?...

My Dad was a Volunteer Fireman and Ex-Captain of Rainbow Hose Company #1 for West Babylon FD, Long Island, NY for 60 years until he died in 2008...

He had just been honored for his 60 yrs of service and 6 months later he was gone...he had been telling me for the last 3 yrs of his life while he was battling congestive heart failure, that he 'just wanted to get his 60 yrs and then he was ready to 'pack it in', and that is EXACTLY what happened...I do believe he was hanging on for that milestone....:(

He is still missed today by his company and the rest of the dept...he was the first 50 yr member and also the first 60 yr member...his older brother started WBFD, and my Dad joined in 1948 at age 22...he just missed being a 'charter member' by 6 months...

Here is a photo of him being honored for his 60 yrs of service, taken 3/15/08, another of him in his truck taken in 2007, and another photo of the tribute to him, taken on 9/22/08 in front of his firehouse on the day of his funeral...