Over a combined 72 years of service, two retiring members of the Roland Fire Department have seen a lot of change. The department will be losing that wealth of knowledge and experience when the two members retire this year.
Kevin Brown is retiring after 32 years. Brown Joined the department in 1991 as a way to give back to the community. He said firefighting is an essential service anywhere, and it was something he knew he could do.
"I realize it's not for everyone but it was something that I could do, and I just incorporated it as part of my lifestyle."
When Brown first started with the department, he came from working underground in the mining industry. "The fire chief at the time was a friend of mine, and he knew I had experience with mine rescue, which I had taken at that venue. When I settled in Roland, I joined the force more permanently and have been here ever since."
Veteran firefighter Murray Peirson has also decided to retire. Peirson joined the department in 1983 when he was 24 years old.
"At the time, I moved into town and I knew the fire chief, and he asked me if I would like to join the fire department," said Peirson. "So that's how I got started. I lived in the country before that, and you couldn't be in the fire department if you lived in the country. I was 24 years old and I've been here for 40 years, so I think it's time to retire."
Recalling one of his first fire calls, Peirson explained how the community used "fire phones" to communicate when there was a fire. He said Roland had four people at the time with a fire phone. Peirson explained he took a call on a fire phone and was speaking to the wife of one of the other firefighters.
"She says. 'Murray, there is a fire at Mr. Martin's' farm. There's a truck on fire.' I said OK how do I get there? She says, 'Drive towards Kane and look for smoke.' So that's what I did, and that was how we found fires 40 years ago."
Not only did Murray Peirson serve for 40 years, he is also the longest-serving member of the Roland Fire Department since they started keeping member records in the the early 1900s.
"They have a wealth of knowledge that all of us look up to. I've been looking up to it for many years," said Roland Fire Chief Donald Roy. He said their departure will be a big hit to the department, and added both will be greatly missed by the department.
When he first started, Brown said he remembers the department having a little truck and a little shed. "Now we have a big pumper, a water tank, and a rescue, and we have a nice big facility for storing everything." He adds the mounds of tools compared to what they had 30 years ago, he says the Roland Fire Department has evolved for the better.
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