Dateline: February 1, 2007

Firemen log thousands of volunteer hours in 2006

The Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department had a very busy year in 2006, according to statistics announced during its annual steak dinner and officer election Sunday.

Fireman Jerry Morris reported the Clarendon VFD received 180 alarm responses during the last calendar year, which resulted in 62,892 man-hours of service.

Local firefighters spent an additional 1,038 hours in drills and training.

Each call had an average of close to 12 firemen and lasted 8.87 hours, resulting in an average of more than 98 man-hours per call.

Morris reported that the average member of the Clarendon VFD devoted 1,598.25 hours to the department, which does not include time spent repairing or improving equipment, keeping records, or other such duties.

The fire department is limited to 40 members, operates 15 pieces of equipment, and has a total budget of $36,000 with revenues coming from the city, county, and donations.

Twenty-two members attended Sunday’s dinner and elected the following officers for 2007: Chief Delbert Robertson, First Asst. Chief Jeremy Powell, Second Asst. Chief Ernie Johnston, Third Asst. Chief Billy Holman, Secretary/Treasurer David Pitts, Chaplain Jim Aveni, and Asst. Chaplain Terry Ashcraft.

These officers will name the captains for various companies within the next 30 days, and all the elected and appointed officers will serve through the end of next January.

Rookie of the Year honors were split between Chancy Cruse, Wes Smith, and Jackie Bell; and three finalists were named for Firefighter of the Year – Jerry Morris, Billy Holman, and Buddy Howard. The Rookies of the Year and the Firefighter of the Year will be honored during a Family Night in the near future.

The department currently has three openings, and membership is open to male residents of Clarendon who are over the age of 18. Those interested in joining can contact any officer for an application or come to one of the regular meetings, which are held on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at the fire station.

Tax deductible donations to the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department can be mailed to PO Box 364, Clarendon, TX 79226.