Tell us about yourself.
My name is Ed Wilmarth III. I am 34 years old and have lived in Broad Channel my entire life. I have a fiancé, Jeannine, and two great kids; Autumn will be seven in October and Eddie IV will be two in August. I work for the NYCTA as a bus operator.
My father and sister are also members of the Broad ChannelVolunteer Fire Department. My sister Rose is an EMT and my father, Ed Jr., is our current chief engineer in charge of motor pump operator training and vehicle maintenance. He is also our oldest member at 67 years old and has the most years of membership of any one person in our department history. He joined in 1967.
What is your current title and role in the BCVFD?
I am the current Chief of the Broad Channel Fire Department. This is my first term as the Chief of Department. I was the Assistant Chief for the two years prior and have held every firefighter and fire officer position in our department.
I joined the BCVFD in 1993 as a junior member, and officially became a senior member in 1998 when I turned 18. The role of Chief of Department is to establish the department’s operational guidelines, be the incident commander at the scenes of emergencies, as well as govern the other chiefs and officers who in turn, govern the membership.
Were you involved with community and civic affairs before joining the Vollies?
I was 13 when I joined the BCVFD so I wasn’t involved in too much as a young teen except for the vollies. I did however perform with the Broad Channel Theater Group in their productions of “Grease” and “Some Like It Hot” in the late 90’s.
What other committees or groups are you involved with?
I am not currently involved with any other group or committee at this time. Being a member of a volunteer fire department, let alone the chief, is a full time job and does not leave much time for anything else.
How long do you intend to be part of the BCVFD?
I have been a member for 21 years and do not plan on going anywhere anytime soon.
What is the most important issue facing Broad Channel?
Right now the most important issue is the recovery process from Sandy. Whether it be financial recovery or structural repair and/or replacement of the homes in Broad Channel. Any and all new construction poses new threats to our firefighters. Newly constructed homes or buildings with thicker windows or the use of lightweight steel construction or other “cheap” materials can alter the way we need to attack fires and change the way the fire reacts and spreads. The potential raising of homes in BC will also change how we deploy hose lines and ground ladders and how we remove victims from fires or remove patients on EMS calls. The potential raising of the streets on the canal blocks is also going to hinder emergency apparatus response as well as swift ground ladder and hose deployment while the streets are under construction, especially in the winter.
What’s the best thing about living in Broad Channel (and/or Rockaway)?
The best thing about living in BC is the water. It’s also the worst thing -lol.
Biggest complaint?
My biggest complaint is the lack of knowledge or interest that some residents have about the BCVFD. The BCVFD without question is the most important organization in the history of Broad Channel and still is today. Nothing is more important than saving lives. Nothing.
My personal feeling is that it is a reflection of society today. We celebrate movie stars and pro athletes who get paid millions to “entertain” while real heroes are out saving lives every day not getting the respect or pay they deserve.
What advice or suggestions do you have for people who are not currently involved but are interested in helping Broad Channel and Rockaway?
My suggestion is instead of taking to social media or Googling all your information, get out from behind your computer desk or cell phone or couch and get motivated and get involved and come find out what we are all about. The BCVFD only has about 40 members currently, only half of whom live in BC. But those 40 are some of the hardest working people in this town.
With approximately 3,000 residents living here, that is a sad percentage to say the least. When the department was originally organized in 1905, every male over the age of 18 was required to be a member of the BCVFD. If only we could go back to those times the BCVFD would never have to worry about manpower shortages again. But I digress.
There are so many ways being a member can help you personally. We train you to become a NYS certified firefighter or EMT for free. That kind of knowledge and experience is indispensable if you choose that to be your career. Some of the best firefighters, EMTs and dispatchers the FDNY has had past and present came from the BCVFD.
And I assure nothing is more rewarding than knowing that you made a difference in someone’s life or perhaps the greatest reward of actually getting to save a life.
No comments:
Post a Comment