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A record for station cover ups/stand bys
The Belvedere Fire Company has covered more companies then any other fire company in the world. It may sound like a bold statement but I’m sure it’s one that can’t be denied. And it’s all happened in the last 20 years.
What is a cover up? It’s when another company is involved with a working alarm or has a company function where the membership will not be able to respond. To me when a department/company or the dispatchers have enough confidence in your company to entrust their own district to you. Knowing that you will provide the same or better service to their residents when they are busy somewhere else. Some believe it’s just sitting around someone else’s fire house. To our members it’s more then that. It’s a sense a pride every time we are called because we know when the company started 60 years ago we weren’t even allowed to go out of district.
A little history on the Belvedere Volunteer Fire Company. The company was one of the last started in Delaware and the 2nd to last in New Castle County. Started in 1949 and incorporated in 1952 we are predominantly African-American and in 1949 weren’t welcomed by most of the other fire departments. Also the area within a 5 mile radius already had 5 other departments. Things were a lot different in the 40’s and 50’s; Responding to a black neighborhood wasn’t such a priority. The company was organized after the death a several area residents.
Our district consists of a ½ mile square. If you stand on the main road you can see both ends of the district, without squinting. When they started, the founders just wanted to protect their own. In 1965 we sued the New Castle County Firemen’s Association for inclusion and even had to fight our attorney who was fired on the last day of the trial. It was found that we were in fact a “viable” fire service. This added us to the county dispatch system. Before then several members would listen to the fire radio and manually activate the siren to let us know there was a fire in the area. At times people would call or run to the firehouse.
It still took many years to be truly accepted by other companies but we had a lot of help from those that did accept us.
Fast forward to 1982, we purchased our second new engine a Seagrave pumper with a 1000 gallon tank and 1500 GPM pump, at the time the largest engine in the area besides tankers. In an effort to increase our run totals our chief at the time, Wilbert “Boo” Saunders, started networking and approaching other companies about adding us as a cover up. We had always covered for neighboring Millcreek and one of the first to have us cover was Minqaudale.
In 1989 we purchased a Pierce Lance Squrt and while the first 4 years it was never put in service that 5th year proved what it could do and it’s been special requested quite a few times, especially in Delaware County PA and Salem County NJ.
Also our location off a major local highway and Interstate 95 helped with easy access to other companies. Another factor was manpower, we became known for being able to respond during daytime hours with a full trained crew. Another factor that many people don’t take into account is we like to have fun and work hard. We’re usually one of the last companies to leave because others know we have no issue helping them with rehab or packing hose. When on a cover we usual have a lot of fun and members find us good company. I’ve heard over the years from wives of visiting members that they should join our company because we have so much fun.
Since 1982 we have covered over 30 different companies, 35 to be exact. Now of the 35 this does not include departments with multiple stations, such as Aetna, Christiana, City of Wilmington and Millcreek, which would increase the total to 41 if you counted stations. We have covered companies in the surrounding states which includes; 7 in Maryland, 5 Pennsylvania and 1 New Jersey. It would have been 2 in New Jersey but we did scratch on that one last year.
We have cover every station in New Castle County except two (19 of 21), and at least one company in all three counties.
The most important thing is that a vast majority of these cover assignments were for actual working alarms. I believe we can say that we are the only company to have been dispatched to a working in all 4 states Only 6 were for request for a cover for the company to go to a parade or during a company function.
Some funny moments have happened during these covers. The first time over the Delaware Memorial Bridge into Jersey we needed an escort because we didn’t know were the firehouse was. Going to Ellendale which is about 75 miles away, the Deputy (My brother) forget to notify dispatch via red phone so he called on the radio to tell them our destination. Well most firefighters can tell by the radio silence something was up and they asked us what station we were going to. They didn’t know station 85 but had to say Ellendale, which is 2 counties away. Of course there always the chance of getting lost, while covering for Reliance in Delaware County Pa we were dispatched along with another stand by engine. No one knew were it was and had to wait for the standby member to come out the bathroom. We don’t get a lot of work on standbys but we can say we never lost one in someone else’s district.
1. Aetna Hose Hook and Ladder of Newark
2. Avondale
3. Brandywine Hundred
4. Cecilton MD*
5. Chesapeake City MD *
6. Christiana
7. Churchill MD*
8. City of Wilmington
9. Citizens Hose of Smyrna
10. Claymont
11. Cranston Heights
12. Delaware City
13. Ellendale *
14. Elsmere
15. Singerly of Elkton MD
16. Five Points
17. Greenridge PA
18. Goodwill of New Castle
19. Hockessin
20. Holloway Terrace
21. Kennett Square PA
22. Millcreek
23. Milford
24. Minquadale
25. Minquas
26. Northeast MD*
27. Odessa
28. Oxford PA
29. Pennsgrove NJ
30. Perryville MD
31. Talleyville
32. Middletown*
33. Reliance PA
34. West Grove PA
35. Wilmington Manor
What is a cover up? It’s when another company is involved with a working alarm or has a company function where the membership will not be able to respond. To me when a department/company or the dispatchers have enough confidence in your company to entrust their own district to you. Knowing that you will provide the same or better service to their residents when they are busy somewhere else. Some believe it’s just sitting around someone else’s fire house. To our members it’s more then that. It’s a sense a pride every time we are called because we know when the company started 60 years ago we weren’t even allowed to go out of district.
A little history on the Belvedere Volunteer Fire Company. The company was one of the last started in Delaware and the 2nd to last in New Castle County. Started in 1949 and incorporated in 1952 we are predominantly African-American and in 1949 weren’t welcomed by most of the other fire departments. Also the area within a 5 mile radius already had 5 other departments. Things were a lot different in the 40’s and 50’s; Responding to a black neighborhood wasn’t such a priority. The company was organized after the death a several area residents.
Our district consists of a ½ mile square. If you stand on the main road you can see both ends of the district, without squinting. When they started, the founders just wanted to protect their own. In 1965 we sued the New Castle County Firemen’s Association for inclusion and even had to fight our attorney who was fired on the last day of the trial. It was found that we were in fact a “viable” fire service. This added us to the county dispatch system. Before then several members would listen to the fire radio and manually activate the siren to let us know there was a fire in the area. At times people would call or run to the firehouse.
It still took many years to be truly accepted by other companies but we had a lot of help from those that did accept us.
Fast forward to 1982, we purchased our second new engine a Seagrave pumper with a 1000 gallon tank and 1500 GPM pump, at the time the largest engine in the area besides tankers. In an effort to increase our run totals our chief at the time, Wilbert “Boo” Saunders, started networking and approaching other companies about adding us as a cover up. We had always covered for neighboring Millcreek and one of the first to have us cover was Minqaudale.
In 1989 we purchased a Pierce Lance Squrt and while the first 4 years it was never put in service that 5th year proved what it could do and it’s been special requested quite a few times, especially in Delaware County PA and Salem County NJ.
Also our location off a major local highway and Interstate 95 helped with easy access to other companies. Another factor was manpower, we became known for being able to respond during daytime hours with a full trained crew. Another factor that many people don’t take into account is we like to have fun and work hard. We’re usually one of the last companies to leave because others know we have no issue helping them with rehab or packing hose. When on a cover we usual have a lot of fun and members find us good company. I’ve heard over the years from wives of visiting members that they should join our company because we have so much fun.
Since 1982 we have covered over 30 different companies, 35 to be exact. Now of the 35 this does not include departments with multiple stations, such as Aetna, Christiana, City of Wilmington and Millcreek, which would increase the total to 41 if you counted stations. We have covered companies in the surrounding states which includes; 7 in Maryland, 5 Pennsylvania and 1 New Jersey. It would have been 2 in New Jersey but we did scratch on that one last year.
We have cover every station in New Castle County except two (19 of 21), and at least one company in all three counties.
The most important thing is that a vast majority of these cover assignments were for actual working alarms. I believe we can say that we are the only company to have been dispatched to a working in all 4 states Only 6 were for request for a cover for the company to go to a parade or during a company function.
Some funny moments have happened during these covers. The first time over the Delaware Memorial Bridge into Jersey we needed an escort because we didn’t know were the firehouse was. Going to Ellendale which is about 75 miles away, the Deputy (My brother) forget to notify dispatch via red phone so he called on the radio to tell them our destination. Well most firefighters can tell by the radio silence something was up and they asked us what station we were going to. They didn’t know station 85 but had to say Ellendale, which is 2 counties away. Of course there always the chance of getting lost, while covering for Reliance in Delaware County Pa we were dispatched along with another stand by engine. No one knew were it was and had to wait for the standby member to come out the bathroom. We don’t get a lot of work on standbys but we can say we never lost one in someone else’s district.
1. Aetna Hose Hook and Ladder of Newark
2. Avondale
3. Brandywine Hundred
4. Cecilton MD*
5. Chesapeake City MD *
6. Christiana
7. Churchill MD*
8. City of Wilmington
9. Citizens Hose of Smyrna
10. Claymont
11. Cranston Heights
12. Delaware City
13. Ellendale *
14. Elsmere
15. Singerly of Elkton MD
16. Five Points
17. Greenridge PA
18. Goodwill of New Castle
19. Hockessin
20. Holloway Terrace
21. Kennett Square PA
22. Millcreek
23. Milford
24. Minquadale
25. Minquas
26. Northeast MD*
27. Odessa
28. Oxford PA
29. Pennsgrove NJ
30. Perryville MD
31. Talleyville
32. Middletown*
33. Reliance PA
34. West Grove PA
35. Wilmington Manor
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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"The Belvedere Fire Company has covered more companies then any other fire company in the world"
Evidence please. The world is a pretty big place.
I'm willing to accept that you've 'covered' for a lot of Stations. Well done, you wouldn't be asked for if you weren't up to it. Be proud by all means, even say that you think that you would be one of the most requested Depts in your area. But how much knowledge have you about other countries?
Once again, be proud - it seems that you have a lot to be proud of. But the 'world' is a lot bigger place than Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey
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Permalink Reply by Just Plain Craig Moyer on
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While I don't travel the world, I am world wise. It's hard to beleive that another company could have done standbys for 30 or more companies. Think, location, how many are close enough to 30+ to have done it. So take away alot of rural companies. Time, who has the time so take away alot of the larger busier companies. Manpower, While alot of the covers started 20 some years ago, we've done quite a few in the last 5-8 years. Who has the manpower to send an engine and keep an engine staffed at the station. So that takes away other stations.
The pot is small on who could accomplish this. Definitly not taking anything away from anyone else. If someone can prove they covered more companies then GOD bless them!
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You make a lot of statements to exclude people, but again, no evidence. So I say again, evidence please?
You are proud of your Company, and that's good. It seems from your list that your Company has provided support to a good number of other companies, and that's something to be proud of. But you made a statement that I doubt you can prove, that's what I'm saying.
You say that you're "world wise". That means what? Do you have intimate knowledge of how Fire Services are run in other countries? In all other countries? In some other countries? In my country maybe?
For me, you statement comes across as more than pride. It seems to be just another way of saying 'we're good, we're better than anyone else, mine's bigger than yours" etc.. That's what annoyed me enough to post an answer. I'm not going to bother trying to disprove your statement, it's a nonsence statement. Perhaps if you'd said "I'm proud of the Belvedere Fire Company, I think it may have covered for more companies then many other fire companies have" it would have come across better.
Have your pride, but don't let it rule you. Stay safe.
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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I will take a littel differant approach than Tony. I find it remarkable that your department/company has had that many stand by assignments in that great of a variety. I know the firehouses here are relatively closer than most rural areas and I know we haven't come close to that many. Well done by your department and well written post. There is a sense of pride when you are called up and "handed the keys to the city."
Be well and stay safe brother.
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