Photo By Valerie OBerry | Stripping a fire axe from the walls of Station 531, Firefighter and Emergency Medical...... read more read more
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On Sept. 8, Quantico Fire and Emergency Services welcomed their brothers, sisters and their families back to Station 531 for a picnic to celebrate 100 years of rich history.
Former fire Chief Walter Stone, Sr., 1950-1977, could not stop smiling as he was joined by so many of his brothers and sisters from the past. He met with new firefighters and their families and was extremely grateful to be back in the station that he helped build up for more than 25 years.
“It is amazing how much has changed in this tiny station, but, it is also amazing how much has stayed the same.” Stone said. “I am truly blessed to be here, to be amongst all of these people that I consider family.”
According to former Fire Chief Kevin King, 2007-2010, the fire department is filled with a rich history and tradition that has not been hindered by progress.
The fire service aboard MCBQ began with a few Marines who vowed to watch over the wooden barracks, while also training to fight in World War I.
“The men who practiced the honor, courage and commitment back then are the same firefighters our men and women embody today,” King said. “They will be the first ones in and the last one out attacking every situation head on as Protectors of the Crossroads.”
Quantico Fire and Emergency Services has grown over the last century to include civilian firefighters with a total task force of approximately 90 individuals sworn in to protect more than 15,000 military personnel, their dependents and civilian employees living and working on MCBQ and surrounding jurisdictions. The fire department typically responds to more than 2,000 incidents per year.
“There is so much history under this roof—history that many people don’t know about,” former Assistant Fire Chief Charles Campbell, 1983-1999, said. “It’s the history of a family of people—a brotherhood of firefighters who fought to protect the base and the residents around them.”
Campbell believes the progress and experience the firefighters who sat in front of him could only be strengthened by the history of the department.
“Quantico Fire and Emergency Services has not been hindered by progress,” Campbell said. “It has continued in stride growing stronger and better every year.”
The fire department was recognized as the Medium Fire Department of the Year for two years in a row, 2015 and 2016.
jbeale@quanticosentryonline.com
| Date Taken: | 09.08.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.14.2017 15:31 |
| Story ID: | 248261 |
| Location: | QUANTICO, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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