Idetown volunteer firefighters prepare for station move

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The Idetown Volunteer Fire Department held its regular monthly meeting on Thursday night, but the tone was a little different than it might be during ordinary time.

The context for this meeting was the department’s impending move to the former Lehman Township fire station at 25 Firehouse Road in Dallas.

According to department treasurer Cindy Blaine, the department will be moved into its new base of operations no later than Aug. 1. They are targeting Sept. 1 for their first breakfast in the new station, and are hoping to host an open house at in the early fall.

Before the meeting even began, members of the volunteer fire department were sharing stories of their soon-to-be-former building on state Route 415. The department has been based at that station house since 1959.

Longtime firefighter Gary Harrison offered recollections of his experiences with the Idetown department. His father was a charter member, so his perspective stretches back to the department’s founding.

Harrison brought up some of the highlights of the department’s history — its founding by Jonathan R. Davis, the station’s expansion to three bays, and the acquisition of an orange truck called “Stormy,” just to name a few.

There were somber moments along the way, too, such as the department’s participation in the memorial parade for fallen firefighters John Lombardo, Pittston, and Leonard Isalaco, West Pittston, in 1993.

Many of the department members in attendance at Thursday night’s meeting discussed their family roots in the Idetown department. Ernie Pender, one of the younger members of the crew, is a veteran. He was practically raised in the station, as he is a third-generation member of the Idetown Volunteer Fire Department.

When the move does happen, Idetown won’t be sharing space with any other departments, though some of the other local departments did play a pivotal — and supportive — role in the transition.

“We are thankful for Lehman Township and Back Mountain Regional for giving us this opportunity,” said Cindy Blaine. “They’re excited to see life come into [the Firehouse Road station] again; we’re excited to have our own operation up there again.”

For a few of the veteran firefighters, the Firehouse Road station won’t be completely foreign territory. In the past, it was occasionally used as a training ground for Back Mountain firefighters.

“I’ve gone to multiple classes there. I’ve been to multiple meetings there, back when the firemen’s meetings were held there years ago,” said John Hutchins. “It’s going to be interesting.”

The transition is going to make the firefighters’ lives easier and make their operations much more efficient.

“There’ll be some speed bumps when we get going, but we’ll smooth it out as we go,” said Jerry Walker of the move. Walker joined Idetown a few years back after previously serving as the volunteer fire chief in Lake Silkworth.

The building on state Route 415, while legendary, is in a fairly dangerous spot. The Idetown volunteers detailed the multiple safety hazards and inconveniences that come with the current building’s proximity to state Route 415, from backing out of the station onto the road to inconsiderate drivers. Just discharging one of the trucks is an ordeal.

“It takes probably about 15 to 20 to get [the trucks] out” of the station bay, according to Joe Blaine.

The new building is a little more removed from the main roads, and is larger than the current one. While the move was described as “bittersweet” by Cindy Blaine during the meeting, there was basically universal agreement that the move would be a positive for the department.

“There’s plenty of room for expansion,” said Joe Blaine.

The Idetown Fire Department has received overwhelming support from the community on their impending move, according to Cindy Blaine, referencing the kind comments they have received on social media and out in public.

That community appreciation might come in handy for the department moving forward, especially as they will now have more room for fundraising and community involvement. From the chief’s perspective, the opportunity to reach more people through this move is one of the biggest benefits that sits in front of the department.

“If somebody wants to come over and say ‘I’ll help you with your breakfasts or help you with your fundraisers,’ that’s more to us than anything.”