The Salisbury Fire Department will celebrate its 150th anniversary on Oct. 22.

The Salisbury Fire Department will celebrate its 150th anniversary on Oct. 22.

The Salisbury (Md.) Fire Department is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a parade and ceremony featuring demonstrations and tours.

The parade is planned for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, beginning on Main Street near Royal Farms and ending at Station 16 on Cypress Street in Salisbury.

At 11 a.m. at the fire department, guests will observe live rescue and rappelling demonstrations, watch as government officials present commendations and meet Sparky the Dog, the fire department’s mascot.

Fire apparatus, engines, an antique chief’s car and other equipment will be in the parade, said Bryan Records, assistant chief and a 44-year career firefighter, who has written a book about the history of the fire department.

Titled “150 Years of Service and Tradition,” the book is scheduled to go to the publisher in the middle of this month and be available for purchase early next year. The price will be $39.

“I got the assignment to write it in May. A lot of the guys in the fire service want it. It will have an introduction from the mayor and chief, photographs and the history, then in each section I included historical stories that I used to write for their quarterly newsletter. I thought, ‘What a waste not to use them,’” he said.

Biographies of chiefs who have served during the years are included, as well as details about apparatus, distinguished members and general membership. There are photographs from the Civil War era and founding members.

“There are stories about the Peninsula Hotel Fire in 1929, the Civic Center fire. The last chapter is all the members’ photos by shift and by station. I’m pretty excited about it. It’s been fun,” Records said.

Salisbury’s fire department, under the command of Chief John Tull, currently has three stations, 111 career personnel and 46 volunteers who cover 48 square miles. In 2021, the department responded to 3,839 fire incidents and 11,321 EMS calls.

Fire department personnel are involved in “EMS, plus HAZMAT, special operations, murders, shootings, stabbings, car accidents, building fires, house fires,” Records said.

“We’re just all over the place all the time. … When I started in 1979, they had about 500 calls downtown and 250 at the other station, and 1,800 ambulance calls. Now, we’re in the 15,000 range. It’s just crazy the way things are going, and it’s not going to stop,” Records said.

Deputy Chief Darrin Scott, a 37-year member, said celebrating the milestone 150th anniversary “is great.”

“We’ve been here since 1872. It started with one bay downtown, on the Route 50 side of the Downtown Plaza. This parade and ceremony will show the town what they’ve got in their own back yard, and it will give us a chance to brag a little bit,” said Scott, who, from childhood was interested in being a firefighter and who joined the fire department after high school.

“We didn’t have cadets then. We have them now. I joined as a volunteer, then I got hired in 1990,” he said, recalling the years when fire department staff affectionately cared for live dalmatian fire dogs, and had formal services for them when then died.

“We had Spanner and Boots. We don’t have a live dog now. We’re too busy,” Scott said.

Dalmatians were favored by fire brigades beginning in the late 1700s, when horse-drawn fire carriages were used. It’s said the dogs had a way of calming the horses, were loyal, barked loudly and had incredible endurance.

Today, Sparky, a human in a dog costume, is the mascot in Salisbury.

Veteran news reporter Susan Canfora has written for many newspapers and held positions ranging from managing editor to her favorite, news reporter. She joined the Coastal Point in June 2019. She teaches college writing, tutors and professionally edits.

Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

In… Read More >>Full-time SRO not going to be at LB after all

Th… Read More >>Cottage Café sold to SoDel Concepts

Of… Read More >>Work continues on Millsboro bypass project

Fo… Read More >>Hudson lands as town manager of Smyrna

The Coastal Point is a local newspaper published each Friday and distributed in the Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Fenwick Island, Ocean View, Millville, Dagsboro, Frankford, Selbyville, Millsboro, Long Neck and Georgetown, Delaware areas.