Stopped in at the NJ Firefighter Museum Open House on 9/25. It wasn’t quite the NFD Muster, no parade, no competition, no vendors, but it was interesting. They had an assortment of rigs, some in good shape, others stored in a warehouse that need work. Speeches were made by politicians supporting the museum & by museum staff. The museum even has a small library with fire service text books & other books highlighting being a firefighter. There were also examples of fireboxes, w/one looking like it came from Newark (4412 Hawthorne Avenue & Clinton Place).

Most interesting for me was a showcase w/Newark memorabilia. Inside were twenty NFD muster mugs, some patches, a couple fire union stickers, & a book co-authored by BC Harry Carter. Next to the book was a concise write up about the Harry the outside world knew. The bowtie wearing PhD author & lecturer who helped set up New Jersey’s firefighter standards. There was no mention of the firefighter from Central Avenue, the Captain from Park Avenue who did all those special assignments, or the Battalion Chief who was commandant of the Academy. Not a word about his sense of humor or occasional blowups w/the powers that be. Just the respectable Harry much admired for his contributions to the academic study of the fire service. Oh, if they only knew the Harry we knew.

I ended up speaking w/a woman on the board of directors for the museum. She told me she was an instructor, so I asked if she knew Harry. Turns out she did, so we had a pleasant conversation

at Harry’s expense. She remembered him for giving her the nickname “Little Trouble” (she was a diminutive woman). I remembered the Captain at Fifteen Engine & the Battalion Chief at the Academy. Wish he had been there to appreciate the memories.

That being said, the place has potential. The displays were interesting, if for nothing else, for the differences between the companies shown operating & how we operate. i.e.: At the mask display, they had a picture of firefighters taking their SCBAs out of their boxes before donning them. Kind of like they did in Newark back in the mid-1940s.

Most of the rigs are from small volunteer departments. Some dating back to the 18th century. There was an old beat-up water tower from Jersey City resting in the corner of the warehouse. They also have a space set aside for a firefighters’ memorial with what I am guessing is a large I-beam from the World Trade Center. People can buy a brick, have it inscribed w/a name, and have it set in the ground in front of the I-beam. From the inscriptions I read, it is not a LOD death memorial, but I could be wrong.

All in all, an interesting day out. If I knew nothing about the fire service, it would have been a learning experience.