TFC celebrates 70 years with donation

Last Wednesday evening on the little patch of grass in front of Ron Don’s, the Trumansburg Fire Company (TFC) gathered to celebrate a financial award and a historic milestone in their history — 70 years of service.

Trumansburg Rotary President Kathleen Overbaugh presented TFC with a $1,500 donation at the celebration. The money will be used to purchase two new ice rescue suits. Fire Chief Matt Taylor said the current ones they own are about 13 years old.

In Trumansburg, the fire department is run within the village structure, which owns the equipment and building. But the Fire Company is a not-for-profit, membership-based organization that provides free manpower to the department to operate all that equipment. This means every firefighter in Trumansburg is a volunteer.

Taylor has a full-time job as facilities director at Schuyler Hospital but has been involved with TFC since 2004.

“I had friends in the service,” Taylor said about how he got his start. “It was kind of like, ‘Come hang out with us at the firehouse,’ and 17 years later, that’s how it goes! There’s a lot of families here. My son is also a volunteer with the department.”

Taylor explained that because it’s a volunteer organization, his job is mostly to keep all the members happy and coming back.

“We obviously don’t do it for the money; it’s for the love,” Taylor said. “I’m always trying to rally the troops and keep everybody motivated and engaged. That’s my job. I’m the cheerleader.”

The organization got its start back in the 1800s, before motorized equipment, but officially incorporated in 1951. For a stint, they also handled EMS calls and ran the ambulance, which is now a separate department with a paid staff.

Taylor said that most of the small towns in Tompkins County have volunteer fire departments, so they have mutual aid agreements to help one another out. The T-burg department receives about 300 fire calls a year.

The Trumansburg Rotary Club usually runs two grant cycles every year for local organizations to apply to, with much of its funds coming from chicken barbecues it hosts every month in the summer and fall. Taylor said he was grateful for the money from Rotary as it will allow his team to save people in frigid water, an unfortunate reality in an area full of lakes and gorges.

“This is where the rubber meets the road in these small communities,” Taylor said. “Everybody is doing the best they can to help each other out. A lot of people are willing to give, and it’s going to a good cause.”

The Rotary is a nonprofit organization that awards grants to local programs, completes service projects and supports the foreign exchange program for high school students. The local chapter, started in 1927, is part of Rotary International, a service organization representing 200 countries.

Overbaugh commented that last week’s event was fun and that she was glad to meet members of the fire department and Company.

“It was an amazing experience for me, just that we were able to do this,” Overbaugh said. “A chicken barbecue is not an easy thing to pull off, and you get burnt out after a while, but you keep doing it because it’s for a good cause. And this is certainly one of them.”

Overbaugh has lived in T-burg for about 45 years and has had to call for emergency services herself once.

“They do a great job,” Overbaugh said. “It’s a very hard job these days.”

Taylor said that while the donation will make a huge difference to the company, the most important part of their operation is the people and having enough of them. He noted that most community members are very busy with jobs, kids and other responsibilities, so it can be hard to gather enough people consistently.

“My biggest challenge is just trying to keep those members coming in the door, trying to get 50 or 60 or 70 people to show up in the middle of the night, during the worst snowstorm, to the worst fire, for free,” Taylor said. “This isn’t a game where you can just buy the best equipment and spend millions of dollars on trucks. If you don’t have people to drive them to the scene and put the fire out, they’re no good.”

Taylor said that his small-town fire department is always looking for more members. He spoke of the special camaraderie within the membership, like a second family, that gives people a place to come and feel valued.

“We’re here for our community,” Taylor said. “If it’s not us, who is it? So, if you have a little bit of time, we can use you. If you only have one skill set — like you want to drive trucks and don’t want to go into burning buildings — we can use you.”

To learn more about the fire department and Fire Company, visit trumansburg-ny.gov/departments/fire.

In Brief:

Don Ellis art showcase at library

Throughout the summer, the Ulysses Philomathic Library will be showcasing the artwork of local artist, Don Ellis.

Don Ellis began painting in November 2017 and since then has branched out, working in several different media types. Ellis has several painted series in progress including an autobiographical series as well as a series in the abstract expressionist mode.

The library showcase draws from across Ellis’ current art production, much of which was done during the pandemic. The pieces currently on display range in subject, medium and style including realistic natural vistas, portraits and abstract expressionism. When taken together, the pieces offer a holistic glimpse into Ellis’ unique and cohesive artistic vision.

Those interested in seeing Ellis’ work on display may schedule a browsing appointment by calling the library at (607) 387-5623.