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Show s The Magwest NewsKeam Chronicle Magna TimesWest Valley Newa.Thursday, March 16, 2000 9 A Legion of Americai By PAULA LARSEN KEARNS TOW N COUNCIL Recently I these people. had the opportunity to walk through the doors of an almost forgotten establishment in Kearns. People there were chattering, laughing, and singing along with the jukebox. There was the challenge of a 'nol game in one comer, a dart game in the other, a video game ringing out its score, and stories being passed from person to person. It was a place of happiness and memories. I watched the mood change as a still silent reverence fell over the group.. It was a memorial commencing. Men and women were being remembered and passed onto the post everlasting. Confused? Let me explain. I Jvas in the American Legion Post 132. The men and women who the memorial was honoring were members of our armed services ; Army Air Force. Marine. Navy,' National Guard. As I watched these legionnaires gather to honor their own, I saw and felt their .tremendous courage, overwhelming pride for country, and a part of their very souls that had been changed forever. These are the men and women that gave of themselves when called and are still vyilling to give to their country and community. I watched and felt my own heart swelling with pride and a tear coming to my cheek. Let me introduce you to some of be more wrong! to the community. freedom came at a very high cost Freedom Isnt Free. I salute these men and women of the American Legion, especially Post 132. It is with honor I call them friends and announce that they will be leading the Kearns Hometown Days Parade as the good old red white and blue flies high. GLIMPSES: A look through the pages of Kearns history By SANDRA CHIDESTER STAFF WRITER This column is a regular feature in the Kearns Chronicle. Much of the information comes from Kearns. We would love to hear your stories or insights about Kearns tory. Please contact Sandra at 1 his- 966-- 2 118. training on the equipment. This fire was the start of an department in Kearns. There were originally eight men. And unlike county volunteers who were remunerated for each call, these men donated their services completely. Their goal was strictly to serve and protect their commu nity. Not only did they not receive pay for their efforts, dues were paid to belong to the group. There were few telephone lines in Kearns. Those that had y line, phones shared a which was a major problem when fires occurred and help was needed from neighboring fire departments. There was only one solution available at the time-- an expensive one. ten-part- j bucket brigade to women volunteeis to high tech bomb squads, fire fighting in Kearns has come a long, long way. The first fire fighting at Camp Kearns was done by bucket brigade. Barrels of water were hauled from the canal in pickups and .left at various sites throughout the camp. Slow and cumbersome, solution. this was a short-terFifcfti Fully 'equipped fire stations became a necessity during the barracks days. The station itself was a rough board and tarpaper barracks. It housed two fire trucks with ten shift. There men bn each were-- a total of 4 such stations in Camp Kearns at its peak. With a stove in every barracks, in a camp of 70,000 men and a 24-ho- pot-belli- constant wind, the fire trucks would be called into duty nearly eveiynigbt. After the Camp Kearns era. the building of new homes was rapid. Early residents were concerned with the distance of the nearest county fire station. The army had left three of its old fire trucks with Mr. Hoffman, the developer, and he gave them to the community. The Kearns Town Council was quick to, contact the Salt Lake County fire department for permission and A two-wa- y radio system would need to be installed. A mobile two-wa- y radio unit was put into one of the trucks putting it in direct communication with the county station in Murray. The residents of the new town agreed to pay $1 per year, per family, to cover the expense of the new system. The wives of the volunteer firemen helped their husbands to collect the money. If residents refused to pay, they donated their dues to the fund. All of the fires were reported to the county, and they would in turn dispatch a truck. Some fires were completely taken care of by the volunteers before the county trucks arrived. By April of 1953 nearly all of the men in the association were working day shift, so there were few available that knew how to run the pumps on the trucks during the day. The volunteers discussed the situation and presented a unique solution. The idea was to train their wives to get the trucks to the fire and start the booster hose while waiting for the county to respond. This would limit the threat to prop- Work on skating oval moving along .. Laurie STAFf WRITERS: Janke Voohries, formed the Womens Auxiliary of the Volunteer Fire Department m 1953, one of ihe few such groups m the nation. There women trained hard and were soon able to drive the truck to the fire and use the bulky hoses. Salt l,ake County Fire Department 9 was put into operation in September of 1956. It was equipped with the most modern firefighting equipment available. It housed one fire truck, one grass truck and a triple combination pump truck. Long time residents will remember the original building at the current fire station location, with its loud civil defense siren alerting crews of emergencies. The current station has not only increased in size, but also m the amount and tjpes of equipment presently in use there. They use a class-pumper, with foam capabilities, that holds 750 gallons of water. A decontamination trailer that carries the supplies used in and possible cleaning up metli-lab- s spills in Tooele County. A hydrocarbon trailer necessary for containing and cleaning up fuel or other hazardous materials spills on highways or at businesses. They also have a rescue truck for the paramedics. This truck has the lat A est in monitors, life support sys- tems, and testing equipment. The Keatns site now houses a hazardous materials (Hazmat) vehicle. This truck carries air bottles, Level A suits, radioactivity detectors, gas detectors, etc. All of these vehicles require a specially trained workforce. According to Captain Pendleton of station 9, A fire s fear Mr, Stahl We, the Kearns Senior Citizens, would like to thank you and the editor, Faaa Bandeka, (or the news coverage that you give the .Senior Center each month in the Kearns Chronicle, ' ' ' It is extermefy important to keep ihe public informed of the vari ety of lifestyles that are offered to our senior population in the Kearns nrea. Your publication is Our best resource available, 7 Thank You, ' Sherrie Jorgensen ' Center Site Coordinator '' V presently two rescue and four engine personnel, minimum, assigned to each shift. The county is constantly training its people in the latest methods and acquiring the best equipment possible. Captain Pendleton reminds us of the need for community support. He isnt asking us to form a volunteer fire fighting organization like in the early days, but to remember firefighters in our communications with local and state government leaders WOOD BUNDS CUSTOM PLANTATION SHUTTERS . 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Vnd shocking truth about water Tha Kearns Chronicle 040 IV.S25.00 I040AS3S.00 m Bring a sample of your filter or drinking water and learn the Paula Larsen ore appreciated & FREE ESTIMATES 1 Parker is a free community paper brought to you once eoch month by a staff of volunteers os o public service to our community and is published by the Magna Tunes. We welcome your comments. You may contad the Chronicle by writing is P.0. Box Your comments or 964-92418364-036Kearns UT 84118 or by phoning 965-635- 1 'Tv ACTION TAX & BOOKKEEPING SERVICES Qiidester, Amber Bancroft, Paula lorsen lOSSTSS MANAGER: '' fighter is a special type of person. No one calls us when things are going well, he said. There are Lowest Price Ashley , ' The Highest Purity -EDITOR: i $ LSfWj ' V' PpNH ASSOCIATE EDITOR: n ; Bringing to mind images of the Golden Gate Br dge, construction progresses on the Olympic Speedskating Oval structure at the Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center, erty and life. 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