New Jersey Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and retired Cherry Hill fire chief Robert Giorgio were among those in attendance.
The Cinnaminson Fire Department commemorated 100 years of service last weekend with a celebration at the Merion. Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and retired Cherry Hill Fire Chief Robert Giorgio were among those in attendance.
Giorgio spoke on the importance of the anniversary as well as fire safety, while Guadagno presented the department with a proclamation. Township Committee also issued a proclamation to the department.
While the department, which was founded in 1917, typically holds an award banquet each year to recognize those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, this year called for something extra special.
“It was a milestone celebration. We’ve never experienced anything like this,” Cinnaminson Fire Department president Ed Miller said. “It’s lasting memories.”
At the celebration, the department showcased its accomplishments during the past year, the biggest of which, according to Miller, was improving to a Class 2 department.
“This puts us in the top 3 percent of fire companies in the nation,” Miller said. “That’s pretty big.”
The Insurances Service Organization, or ISO, elevated the department to a Class 2 rating earlier this year.
ISO rates communities and their fire departments, and the ratings determine how much fire and homeowners insurance will cost home and business owners in a community.
A lot of work went into ensuring the department was doing everything possible to earn a better rating, according to Fire Chief William Kramer, Jr. This included increasing career and volunteer staffing, increasing the amount of training and in-station duty volunteers participated in, ensuring apparatus and equipment met the required annual testing standards and increasing the use of automatic mutual aid from contiguous municipalities to ensure enough firefighters arrived on location within minimum national timeframes.
Miller, who has been with the department for 47 years and served as fire chief from 1982–1986, says his friendship with his fellow members is part of what has kept him around so long, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
“[It’s] what we do for the people, how we service the community of Cinnaminson,” Miller said.
Kramer, who has been with the department for 44 years, felt honored to be a part of the celebration.
“I just happened to be the lucky person serving as chief at this particular time in history,” Kramer said. “I hope that we paid proper tribute to those members who have served in the past, whether they were able to join us or not.”
Kramer prides himself on what he calls a “great culture” within the department as well as a flourishing relationship with the community.
“We have minorities, we have women, and everybody gets along extremely well,” Kramer said, saying he feels every member of the department would echo his sentiments if asked.
Kramer added the department has unparalleled support from the community.
“They see us out there working hard,” he said. “I would ask anybody who doesn’t understand what we do or has questions about why we do what we do to give us a call. We’ll give them a call or invite them into the station and go over how we do things and why we do things.”
Only about 8 percent of the calls the department receives actually involve fighting fires. The rest range from extracting people from cars to water rescues to everything in between. Because of this, department members must be trained in all facets of the job.
The Cinnaminson Fire Department is always looking for new members, and not just firefighters. Kramer says the administrative side of the department is just as important and allows the firemen to do what they do best.
“It really is a great opportunity for people even if they don’t want to participate in emergency response,” Kramer said. “They can help us help our community.”
For more information on the department or to apply to be a member, visit www.cinnafire.org.
