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FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE TOWNSHIP OF DEREHAM _ The Dereham Fire Department has almost doubled in manpower since last year at this time in 1972. The large increase was because of Dereham's ambition s project in the last year: the new Dereham Fire Hall number 2, located in Mount Elgin. Dereham Fire Chief Joe Sharpe talked about the new fire hall and its benefits to the Township. He said that one of the major advantages is that the township could discontinue buying protection for the North East sector of . Dereham. Until the building of the new station, N.E. Dereham had been covered by the North Norwich East Oxford Department. Along with Mr. Sharpe as chief, there are Deputy Chief Alf Burn in Browns- ville and District Chief Pat Johnson in Mount Elgin. Each station also has two captains. The Brownsville detachment acquired a new 625 pumper in 1971. Chief Joe Sharpe said he hopes that a new bank truck will be acquired for Mount Elgin this year. This will provide both with a new tank truck and pumper for each fire hall. All 25 men at Brownsville fire hall have completed a St. John Ambulance I‘ course. The men at Mount Elgin are undergoing the same training \V_’ In 197l,the departments answered BO calls.included in those were three of _ four that gave the Mount Elgin men their first work-outs under actual fire conditions. The complete 42-man detachment holds fire practice twice a month, once in each centre. _ A big step for the Mount Elgin fire hall will be the hosting of the March meeting of the Oxford County Fire Department Association, to be held in the Mount Elgin Hall on March 2, at 2 pm. _ BROWNSVILLE FIREMEN RESIGN Township of Southwest Oxford Council asked fire chief Joe Sharpe to resign. He did. They accepted his resignation. They have also accepted the resignation of all members of the Brownsville fire department who "backed Joe up". Mr. Sharpe has been fire chief since 1958, when the Brownsville fire de- partment was formed . Later he was made head of the Mount Elgin department and then with restructuring of the Beachville fire department. "We have been in the fire department 18 years and had no problems until we got into this regional government", he said. Mr. Foreman accused council members of accepting the Brownsville firemen's V reSignations an hour before the delegation turned up. b HI would hope we have a fire department organized and quite soon. We're taking applications and I hope some of the old members will reJOin." "he definitely need a fire department here. It is too far to come to Mount Elgin when we have a fire department and everything is right here',' he said. . "I would like to thank Joe (Sharpe for the Job he has done for the 2rowns- Vllle fire department. The people of Brownsville appreciate him quite a bit," added Mr. Franklin. 1 Township of Southwest Oxford Council members asked Mr. Sharpe for his FeSlgnation last Council meeting, in closed session Monday ni:ght they accepted 1t during another closed meeting. . At a fire practice a week ago the Brownsville fire department sent a I'ee;- istered letter supporting the fire chief. A delegation from Brownsville met Wlth Council at the special meeting. In the interim, Pat Johnson Sr., will be fire chief until another one is (l1,F.To1n,t?'d. Mr. Johnson is Deputy chief of Mount Elgin. Applications for a new flre_Chief are to be submitted October 5th,,Fart of the specifications is the applicant "be responsible to the council for the proper administration and Operation of the Township Volunteer Fire Department." . Flayor Jakeman said there was "lack of co-operation and rumours" and he "is sure we can clean up some problems and have good co-operation." F ii," After September 50th, Brownsville residents will receive fire service from _ TT Mount Elgin. BROWNSVILLE FIHEMEN REQUEST 1Rri1i'f'ia"J?ACl?Elyrfi2iT Mimi..o...grg§ra a: t @1325”. "As far as I'm concerned I'm eating crow by signing this but I'll do it to get the doors open", . . With these sentiments, the former members of) the Brownsville fire depart- ; gent all signed one form, asking to be reinstated by Township of South Oxford '; Jouncilo [ The Brownsville area lost the services of its fire department after 19 of' I the volunteers resigned to support fire chief Joe Sharpe. He was asked to re» ‘ Sign by council members and says he no longer wants the Cob, Representative of the fire marshall's office Bob Stewart was invited to the meet rr'd, in Brownsville last night and summarized the feelings of the men. ”All you want to see aye the lights on and the doors open at the fire hall”. wednesday night Council members met with three representatiVes fTwm t;e f'r)rrrrr-s.ra Brownsville fire department: Harold Foreman, Alf Burn, i-rire. D maid jriirr1fcHryrryi-rr,, !/