World Fire History - a stamp at a timeby Chief Bill Lellis (ret) Thank goodness the end of an era is at hand! It is our hope it will pass into the celestial calendar never to be heard from for all time, but there is hope on the horizon.
It is the time that we reflect on this past year, I must give kudos to all who helped keep the Marin Fire History site alive and well. I thought I would say a few words about the year 2020 and thank all those who helped put this production on the air. Chief Paul Smith of Kentfield (ret), for the information regarding his father, the fire protection engineer, who helped develop the life-saving system we call NFPA Standard 13D. This is the standard for fire sprinkler protection in American homes. Who knows how many lives he has saved? New to our fold is Jim Mann; Jim is a San Rafael boy who now lives in Novato with his wife Terry, an RN, . Jim was hired by Marin County Fire Department in 1972. He became a legendary dispatcher with the county and retired in 2003. To stay out of trouble he has coached softball for San Marin High for 23 years. Welcome aboard, Jim. Then there is our Web-Master , curator, Dan White, who spins his magic in producing all of our stories and images. His creative ability is beyond reproach. Dan is the man who is really responsible for keeping this Marin Fire History group together and productive. This year saw the Larkspur Volunteers fade into history. After over 100 years of service to the citizens of Larkspur, these dedicated men and woman are no longer. Due to national and state requirements average citizens cannot give back to their community as volunteer firefighters. The of hours of training necessary to fulfill all the requirements has become burdensome for volunteer members. As a member of the Larkspur Firefighters since 1958 I am so proud to have been associated with this band of fellow firemen, I will miss them. We cannot forget all those guests who allowed us to tell their stories, from the helicopter pilot, the now retired firefighters whose careers started as Resident Firemen (let’s call them what they were “Sleepers”), those who evolved the Marin Search & Rescue team and all of you who have contributed. To those who requested stories for us to follow-up on and the name of a person who you thought may be helpful to the productions of this website, we thank you one and all. These are strange times we are living through, and since we are a history orientated group, I thought would share with you one of my hobbies, philately, or one who collects old sticky pieces of paper, called postage stamps. Being that it is the holidays I thought you might enjoy all the pretty images. Today's notebook will deal with the history of the world's fire service through postage stamps. I will admit it is a departure from the History of Marin County Fire Service but my thinking is some of our readers may find this subject very interesting not only for themselves but maybe one of their children or in most cases grandchildren. I joined the Fire Service in Philately. The editor is a retired Captain from the Buffalo New York F.D. We have members from all over the world. The subject matter found on the worlds stamps is a fireman's dream, you pick the fire service area, and some stamps reflect your subject of interest. So, I will share with you just some of these little pieces of our world history. |
AuthorOur Blog announces new site content, and gives the context of the topic and it's relationship to fire service history. Written by Bill Lellis & Paul Smith Archives
August 2022
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