| On July 6, 2007 the membership of the Lyndonville Fire Company lost a
significant past member and officer, Derwood James. Derwood James was
elected Chief in 1962 and remained as Chief until 1975. The driving force
behind the construction of the current firehouse, Derwood James bucked the
nay-sayers, convinced the Village and obtained the grant money to get the
job done. His influence, commitment and achievement are significant in the
history of the LFD. Because the department wished to honor his memory, a
ceremony was held at the station he helped build, and a commemorative
plaque was placed outside the fire station.
On Sunday, May 4, 2008, the membership invited the James Family to
share in a ceremony remembering Chief James, honoring his service to the
community and unveiling the plaque. Several fire company members shared
stories of their experiences with Chief James, whom they recall with
affection as both a driven and compassionate man. Members of the Chief’s
family shared their memories of growing up with the Chief, living
next-door to the fire station. Mrs. Dorothy James described what it was
like to take on a special role as the Fire Chief’s wife – her “duties”
included answering the “Fire Phone”, activating the siren and getting over
to the station to open the truck bay doors and write the details of the
call on a blackboard inside the station. For these actions and many
others, Mrs. James picked up the nickname “Lyndonville 1-1/2”.
Mrs. James was given the honor of unveiling the plaque. The plaque is
adorned with the familiar Maltese Cross as well as a lightening bolt. The
lightening bolt has been a mainstay of vehicle markings for the
Lyndonville Fire Company for many years. More recently, there have been
many conversations within the station as to the origin of the lightening
bolt but no definitive answer was found. During the ceremony, the mystery
of the lightening bolt was uncovered. Once again, Chief James’ influence
is being felt: As Mrs. James described for the audience, Derwood and Bill
Hyndman simply created the lightening bolt as way to “spruce up” some
helmets they were painting. It eventually became a method to identify
Lyndonville firefighters, especially at mutual aid calls. Shortly after,
it became an icon on each vehicle in the fleet.
The ceremony was a heart warming and emotional experience for those
attending, as they reminisced about the fire service and the role that
Chief Derwood James had in shaping it for the future.
Chief Derwood James - you are missed and will not be forgotten.
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