Oyster River Fire is marking four decades of service to the community. The volunteer department began in 1976 and is celebrating its 40th anniversary on Saturday.
Lieutenant Janet Marriott says a lot has changed since the department was formed, including the types of calls members respond to and the training they do.
“We’re having to follow the NFPA playbook that has been put out, and that’s across North America.
So our standards are equal to career departments right across North America, we have to have the same standards, [and] that’s huge.”
Marriott notes when they first started there was 25 people and the detachment was used to primarily to fight fires. She says the majority of the calls now are first responder calls.
Former members of the department and the public are invited down for the anniversary celebration. The event goes Saturday, June 17th from 2 to 5 PM at the Oyster River Fire Hall.
