Every now and then, we must give thanks to the people who are actively involved in the community. They do so much to keep others well informed and safe. This is especially true with the Washington Township Fire Department, who is the subject of this very picture.
The September 14, 1967 issue of The Romeo Observer displayed this photo of the department members standing in front of their fire truck. They had their annual family picnic on Sunday, September 10 to "celebrate more than 11 years of service and just to have fun!"
For those who are wondering who the men are, the newspaper actually identified each one!
In the front row, we have Bill Watterson, captain; Jerry Alward, assistant chief; Ralph Sheldon, chief; and Jerry Winter; lieutenant. The second row contains Chet Bugenski, Dell Russ, Lawrence Rinke, Paul Dayak, Conrad Deike, Andy Davison, and Bob Taft. In the third row, there are Fred Haldeman, Paul Poljan, Tom Wilson, Bill Wilson, Don Wyffels, Clyde Haldaman, Norm Haase, and Al Siefert. The last row has Ken Monte, Fre Blonde, Jack Atkins, Rod Blonde, and Ron Albert.
While the Washington Township Fire Department wanted to celebrate and have fun with their picnic, there might have been another reason. It was originally two districts, one for people living north of 29 Mile Road and the other for the south side. In May 1967, the Washington Township board voted to combine them into one unit; therefore, making it the Washington Township Fire Department.
The fire department really wanted residents to know who they were because in the September through November 1967 issues, The Romeo Observer included articles entitled "Know Your Washington Firemen." These contained little writeups on each member of the team.
It's good to know who was involved in the Washington Township Fire Department in 1967, so we can thank them for their service.
To learn more about the Washington Township Fire Department, you can contact the Romeo Community Archives at rca@romemodistrictlibrary.org or call (586) 690-4890.
Source: The Romeo Observer, May 11, 1967, p.1-A and September 14, 1967, p.1-B