Book tells history of firefighting
Proceeds from sales to be donated to St. Barnabas Burn Foundation
BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer

EDISON - Firefighting is in Edison resident Eugene Enfield's blood - his grandfather was a firefighter in Iselin. His father was a volunteer firefighter in northern Edison. He, himself, became a volunteer firefighter at age 18 and a career firefighter four years later.

With this in mind, Enfield was puzzled about why, when he ran into former Edison fire chief H. Ray Vliet at JFK Hospital, he had had no idea who Vliet was.

"I think it's kind of embarrassing if you don't know your roots, and at that point, he was only two chiefs prior to the one that is there," said Enfield. "I think it's important for firefighters, particularly in a department, to know their roots."

With this in mind, Enfield set about the task of compiling a photographic history of the Edison Fire Department, from the inception of the all-volunteer Raritan Engine Company No. 1 to the department's current incarnation. The fruits of his labor have recently been published and became available in stores on Dec. 10. The proceeds from his book sales will benefit the St. Barnabas Burn Foundation.

Enfield, a soft-spoken man who talks in a slow, thoughtful manner, began his research when he again ran into Vliet, this time at a firehouse showing people old photographs. Enfield brought up the possibility of using the old photographs to make a history book, an idea that drew strong approval from Vliet. At that point, Enfield began a nine-month-long process of collecting photographs and interviewing retired firefighters to get the stories behind them.

"[I] just kept on looking in the white pages and trying to find telephone numbers and asking if they had any photographs or any information, anything that could help me out," said Enfield.

Another great help, he said, was finding the commissioner logs, where firefighters of ages past would record meeting minutes, which were instrumental in helping to find the former chiefs and members of volunteer companies.

The result is a book with more than 200 photographs involving Edison's firefighters, with captions to go along with each one. Combined, they weave a historical narrative of firefighting in Edison.

"I enjoyed every bit of it. I liked talking to the retired firefighters and I could see them smiling and reminiscing, and when I handed over a picture … [they were] able to look at it, and you see someone light up and they go, 'Oh, I remember this day,' and they start pointing to people and identifying the people in the picture," Enfield said.

According to Enfield's book, the township, which had been called Raritan until the name change to Edison in 1954, had originally been divided into five independent volunteer fire companies: Raritan Engine Company No. 1, which covered the southern section of the township; Edison Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, which covered the Menlo Park section of town; Raritan Engine Company No. 2, which covered the Clara Barton section of town; H.K. Volunteer Fie Company, which covered the northern area of town; and Oak Tree Volunteer Fire Company, which covered the Oak Tree section of town.

Enfield said that he was surprised at how much the early fire companies emphasized personal conduct: he said that early firefighters would get a 25-cent fine, no small change around the turn of the century, every time they were caught swearing in the firehouse.

The five independent districts were formed into one department under the municipal government during a change in government in 1958 under the Faulkner Act. This transformed the various firefighting companies in Edison into the fire department residents see today.

In his book, Enfield also talks about the various ways that fighting fires has changed over the past century. Technology, he noted, has definitely come far. Some fire companies, for example, started out by bringing horse-drawn wagons, not roaring engines, to fires. The Oak Tree Volunteer Fire Company first fought fires using buckets and grass beaters (lengths of pipe attached to leather, used to beat out brush fires) and would be called to alert by having someone bang something against the nearby train tracks.

The responsibilities of the fire department have also changed, according to Enfield. The department now handles hazardous waste removal as well as rescuing people from burning cars.

"But as far as the firefighter itself, they're pretty much the same, with what I gathered in my research: you have an individual, and the individual has that desire to help people, … helping his community," said Enfield.

The book closes with a section on famous fires that the township has experienced, such as the gas explosion at Durham Woods in 1994 and a chemical fire at a pesticide plant in 1964.

Enfield said he hopes that the book can serve firefighters looking to reminisce, as well as be a history lesson for people looking to know more about how the fire department in Edison works.

"I just think that this book is beneficial not only to firefighters and their family members but to their community as a whole, because … it's a learning experience. They could reminisce about certain places and events … and I think overall it's a good way to restore history with the use of the vintage photographs and the information provided in the captions," said Enfield.

Enfield will hold a book signing and sale at the Seasons restaurant on Route 27 on Sunday, Dec. 16, starting at 1 p.m.

The book is titled "Edison Firefighting," is published by Arcadia Publishing and costs $19.99. It is available at area bookstores, independent retailers, online bookstores or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or (888) 313-2665.