THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407080302
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY JUDY PARKER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 136 lines
WHEN THE ROMAN Emperor Augustus organized civilization's first known firefighters about 27 B.C., he decided on a name that evokes images of bravery and diligence. Some 2,021 years later, it characterizes the essence of the women and men who work in one of the world's most dangerous occupations.
So it wasn't unusual that the ``vigiles'' who patrolled Rome's streets on the lookout for fires, were remembered in 1830 in Portsmouth when the city's Resolution Fire Company named the town's first steam-pumped fire engine ``The Vigilant.''
The first thing you learn as a firefighter is that your very life depends on others, at any given time, any given day,'' said Charles E. `Gene' White, who retired as battalion chief after 30 years service July 1.
``You just know your backup is going to be there . . . and so is that firefighter's backup, and so on down the line. Everyone's alert and aware all of the time,'' White said.
``After all, our first priority is to save human life.''
White is one of 34 veteran Portsmouth firefighters who retired from the department 9 days ago, taking with them an accumulated 965 years of experience.
``My first day on the job was a Sunday, March 1, 1964,'' White recalled.
``The schedule then was to work six days in a row, about 72 hours each week, for $350 a month.
``When I first accepted the job, I only intended to stay for a couple of years. My wife and I had only been married a short time and she didn't want to stay by herself overnight. So I decided I'd stay just long enough until I could find something I really wanted for a career.
``But from the very beginning, I got caught up in the camaraderie and excitement, and I said to myself, `This is it, I'm not going anywhere.' ''
Like every other novice firefighter, White began his career as a dispatcher. He worked in a room that now houses the office of the department's assistant fire chief at the Effingham Street station on the edge of Olde Towne.
``I was eager to be out of the office fighting fires and laying down hose,'' White said.
``My first fire was a house at the corner of High and Godwin. I got so excited, I began spraying water where it wasn't supposed to be sprayed . . . towards the house next door.
``Asphalt was coming off the roof of the burning house and falling down my neck. Ash was flying everywhere, making it hard to see, and there was a captain, I can't recall who, yelling at me to keep pulling the hose.
``Then I saw Chief (Odell) Benton. He was all full of p--- and vinegar, pointing his finger towards me screaming, `Don't leave that line, boy.'
``You never forget your first fire.''
Or many in between.
Like one of the largest fires in terms of property damage to ever strike the city.
Late March 4, 1965, more than 3 million gallons of water was poured on a $1 million blaze that destroyed the Merchants and Farmers Bank, Leggett's Department Store and M. M. Crockin Furniture Company sitting side by side in the 200 block of High Street.
``It was an extremely difficult fire to fight because of all the metal and bars in the bank,'' White said.
``To this day, no actual cause has ever been determined, although it probably started with a ruptured gas line in the bank.''
Eight months later, a fire like no other the city had experienced, struck Portsmouth's first high-rise, the 18-story 1 Crawford Parkway apartment building, which was still under construction.
``A tar pot in the penthouse on the top floor caught fire. We had to walk up the 18 floors, in full gear, pulling hoses and equipment behind us.
``By the time we got to the top, we were totally exhausted,'' White said. ``There was no water supply except on the ground, and the weight of the hoses and water was tremendous. Controlling them took every ounce of energy we had.
``It was definitely a tough one, but we learned first-hand how to fight a high-rise fire. It was an experience we'd never had before.''
Losing buildings to fire can produce temporary economic hardships to a business and its community. Losing human life in a fire produces lifelong heartbreak to the victims left behind, and to the firefighters who try desperately to avoid such a tragedy.
``We're . . . er, there I go again. I keep forgetting I'm retired. What I should say, is that firefighters are always prepared to make an entry if they think there's somebody inside.
``I guess I've answered between 30 (thousand) to 35,000 fire alarms,'' White said, ``and I've helped place too many children and other fire victims in salvage covers.
``You think about those fires long and hard for months. Sometimes, they're with you in your dreams. Was there something I could have done differently? In the end, though, you try and adjust, and then you cope with it as best you can.''
During his 30 years with the department, White, like all the other retirees, has experienced tremendous change in the science of firefighting.
Axes that tear down doors and break through windows, pike poles to pull apart burning pieces of ceiling tile or to retrieve the bodies of drowning victims are still common tools used adroitly by firefighters.
Today, thanks to advances in safety equipment design, firefighters wear heat-reflective suits and self-contained air cylinders to battle the most dangerous fires involving fuels and toxic metals.
``When I came to the department, firefighting was the most dangerous of all occupations. But firefighters today are much smarter.
``During my time, we began to ask questions, like why are we dying at such a high rate. And we've learned to have better training and better equipment.
``I had two weeks' training, but rookies now have to undergo six months of training. When you learn what can kill you, you avoid it.''
Training isn't limited to knowing how to climb 30-, 40-, or 50-foot ladders in high winds and driving rain, trying to control hundreds of pounds of water-pressurized fire hose while wearing several dozen pounds of safety equipment.
``Actual firefighting involves a lot more than just putting out fires,'' White said.
``Today's firefighter has to deal with anything from an emergency medical situation to handling hazardous waste. I'd estimate 35 of 40 calls we respond to are medical calls. Our engines are portable emergency rooms.
``When you answer a medical call today, the first thing you do is put on a surgical mask and pull on rubber gloves.
``You have to deal with things like AIDS, and worry if a drop of blood gets on you, or if somebody should cough in your face.
``It takes dedication to handle somebody who's been cut and bleeding all over. There are times when you get back to the station and you can't get enough soap and water in the shower to scrub yourself clean.
``Thirty years ago, it was the greatest job in the world. Now, I can't say I'd recommend it,'' he said. Then pausing, ``but I can't say I wouldn't recommend it.
``It's been a great trip.'' MEMO: Related stories on pages 14-17.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MARK MITCHELL
`Gene' White is hanging up his hat, one of 34 veteran Portsmouth
firefighters who retired.
KEYWORDS: RETIREMENT PORTSMOUTH FIRE DEPARTMENT PROFILE
BIOGRAPHY by CNB