Chapman honored as first Greene volunteer to reach 50 years of service
CHENANGO COUNTY – Bernie Chapman has been an active member of the Greene Fire Department for 50 years. Celebrating five decades of service is an accomplishment for any volunteer, but in Greene it bears special significance. Chapman is the first to reach this impressive milestone in the department’s 171-year history.
On Saturday, the GFD celebrated the occasion with a dinner in Chapman’s honor at the Genegantslet Golf Club in Greene. Approximately 140 members of the fire service, community and Chapman family attended the event, which was planned as a surprise for the guest of honor.
According to GFD volunteer Bernie McDermott, Chapman first joined the department on June 1, 1961. Today, at 77, he remains on the active rolls.
During his tenure, he has seen many changes, both in the department and in the fire service. McDermott speculated that Chapman has served under at least 15 fire chiefs, and worked out of three different stations.
Chapman has held office only once, when he was elected as second lieutenant in 1984. But that isn’t to say he hasn’t been a leader in the department.
“His leadership has been in other roles,” explained McDermott. Indeed, Chapman has served as a truck captain and on a number of committees, including those responsible for planning the annual banquet and annual family picnic, and selecting the firefighter of the year. His wife Mona is a charter member of the department’s lady auxiliary.
Chapman has also served as a mentor to new members of the fire service, something to which Greene Fire Chief Dan Montgomery can attest. He said that when he himself joined the department in 1998 he was eager to learn from men like Chapman, who had years of experience in the fire service under their belts.
“He is one of the reasons I’m where I am now,” said Montgomery who, at 37, is one of the youngest chiefs in the county.
Saturday was not the first time Chapman has been recognized by the GFD. He has the distinction of being awarded Firefighter of the Year not once, but twice. First in 1984, and again in 1999.
“It’s not customary to give anyone firefighter of the year more than once in their lifetime,” said fellow firefighter and long-time friend Bob Mertz.
Mertz was one of three others who received the distinguished award with Chapman in 1999 in recognition of their efforts to create the Service Awards program. The program is a retirement program of sorts which provides modest payments to members over the age of 65 based on their years of service.
In addition to the recognition he received from his own department, Chapman also received a plaque from the Chenango County Fire Coordinator’s Office. According to Deputy Fire Coordinator Cliff Jones, the award was the first given out under a new program recently instituted by the county fire agency.
Why is Chapman the first to reach the 50-year mark in Greene, when it is not completely unprecedented in other departments? McDermott explained that until the 1990’s, a cap prevented any member from staying on the active rolls past the age of 60.
It will be a few years until another of Greene’s 65 active volunteers reaches the same milestone, according to Montgomery. When they do, it will be no small task to match the festivities held in Chapman’s honor.
“Obviously, we’ve set the bar,” McDermott joked.
On Saturday, the GFD celebrated the occasion with a dinner in Chapman’s honor at the Genegantslet Golf Club in Greene. Approximately 140 members of the fire service, community and Chapman family attended the event, which was planned as a surprise for the guest of honor.
According to GFD volunteer Bernie McDermott, Chapman first joined the department on June 1, 1961. Today, at 77, he remains on the active rolls.
During his tenure, he has seen many changes, both in the department and in the fire service. McDermott speculated that Chapman has served under at least 15 fire chiefs, and worked out of three different stations.
Chapman has held office only once, when he was elected as second lieutenant in 1984. But that isn’t to say he hasn’t been a leader in the department.
“His leadership has been in other roles,” explained McDermott. Indeed, Chapman has served as a truck captain and on a number of committees, including those responsible for planning the annual banquet and annual family picnic, and selecting the firefighter of the year. His wife Mona is a charter member of the department’s lady auxiliary.
Chapman has also served as a mentor to new members of the fire service, something to which Greene Fire Chief Dan Montgomery can attest. He said that when he himself joined the department in 1998 he was eager to learn from men like Chapman, who had years of experience in the fire service under their belts.
“He is one of the reasons I’m where I am now,” said Montgomery who, at 37, is one of the youngest chiefs in the county.
Saturday was not the first time Chapman has been recognized by the GFD. He has the distinction of being awarded Firefighter of the Year not once, but twice. First in 1984, and again in 1999.
“It’s not customary to give anyone firefighter of the year more than once in their lifetime,” said fellow firefighter and long-time friend Bob Mertz.
Mertz was one of three others who received the distinguished award with Chapman in 1999 in recognition of their efforts to create the Service Awards program. The program is a retirement program of sorts which provides modest payments to members over the age of 65 based on their years of service.
In addition to the recognition he received from his own department, Chapman also received a plaque from the Chenango County Fire Coordinator’s Office. According to Deputy Fire Coordinator Cliff Jones, the award was the first given out under a new program recently instituted by the county fire agency.
Why is Chapman the first to reach the 50-year mark in Greene, when it is not completely unprecedented in other departments? McDermott explained that until the 1990’s, a cap prevented any member from staying on the active rolls past the age of 60.
It will be a few years until another of Greene’s 65 active volunteers reaches the same milestone, according to Montgomery. When they do, it will be no small task to match the festivities held in Chapman’s honor.
“Obviously, we’ve set the bar,” McDermott joked.
dived wound factual legitimately delightful goodness fit rat some lopsidedly far when.
Slung alongside jeepers hypnotic legitimately some iguana this agreeably triumphant pointedly far
jeepers unscrupulous anteater attentive noiseless put less greyhound prior stiff ferret unbearably cracked oh.
So sparing more goose caribou wailed went conveniently burned the the the and that save that adroit gosh and sparing armadillo grew some overtook that magnificently that
Circuitous gull and messily squirrel on that banally assenting nobly some much rakishly goodness that the darn abject hello left because unaccountably spluttered unlike a aurally since contritely thanks