The fireboys of Granite Falls They go to blozv (Continued from Page 1.) “Of course, they are our most active kids, anyway,” Camp said “All are in sports. They are the doers.” This year's “doers” are Lindy Johnson, Mel Williams, Richard Kinnie, Rick Hjelle, Duane Desrosier, Tim Quillen and Doug Piantes. All but Quillen and Piantes, who were absent from school, took a “dry run” this past week, piling into Desrosier’s ’46 Ford pickup as if, well, as if they were going to a fire. They showed up a few minutes later at the fire station, across from the bank and the Jack Webb Bicentennial Park, and. just down the street from Driscoll’s Fountain. They were in full firefighting regalia. Desrosier commandeered the driver’s seat of the main rig, a ’74 Ford diesel that Chief Tilley picked up in California and drove to Granite Falls. Everybody seems to know everybody else in the area. “Sometimes you recognize the excited voices on the telephone,” Lindy Johnson said. “Or they just say it’s next to some- body’s house, which everybody knows.” One overly excited assistant fire chief called‘and said simply, “It’s my place.” Then he hung up. That was‘a tough one, until they saw the smoke. The older volunteers have generally ac: eepted the young firemen, lip.pr to have their homes protected Whiie they are aivay at work. Several “older” firemen got start- ed in the student program. i Nobody expects the youl'ig men to an- swer a fire call when they are playing in a basketball or football game. But if they are sitting on the bench, they have the option of answering the call. Latenight calls are common. The boys keep their gear beside their beds, ready to hop into for a 3 am. fire or a 5 am. aid call. Then it’s off to class a few hours later. Camp, the history teacher, said he got the idea from reading how schoolboys 321m fight fires during America’s colonial ys. Unless a home bore an official plaque, indicating that its owner had paid for pr0< fessional fire protection, houses were ig- nored when they caught fire. Schoolboys saved the homes of the poor. “At the outset there was some concern about the students maintaining a certain gradepoint average to qualify,” Camp said. “But who cares if you have a 3.0 grade point when your house is burning?" , Author: , Accession/Object ID: 2005.24.17, Object Name: Newspaper, Title: , Description: Newpaper article on the fireboys of Granite Falls. [0d] [0a] Teenage firefighters, firemen., OCR Text: The fireboys of Granite Falls They go to blozv (Continued from Page 1.) “Of course, they are our most active kids, anyway,” Camp said “All are in sports. They are the doers.” This year's “doers” are Lindy Johnson, Mel Williams, Richard Kinnie, Rick Hjelle, Duane Desrosier, Tim Quillen and Doug Piantes. All but Quillen and Piantes, who were absent from school, took a “dry run” this past week, piling into Desrosier’s ’46 Ford pickup as if, well, as if they were going to a fire. They showed up a few minutes later at the fire station, across from the bank and the Jack Webb Bicentennial Park, and. just down the street from Driscoll’s Fountain. They were in full firefighting regalia. Desrosier commandeered the driver’s seat of the main rig, a ’74 Ford diesel that Chief Tilley picked up in California and drove to Granite Falls. Everybody seems to know everybody else in the area. “Sometimes you recognize the excited voices on the telephone,” Lindy Johnson said. “Or they just say it’s next to some- body’s house, which everybody knows.” One overly excited assistant fire chief called‘and said simply, “It’s my place.” Then he hung up. That was‘a tough one, until they saw the smoke. The older volunteers have generally ac: eepted the young firemen, lip.pr to have their homes protected Whiie they are aivay at work. Several “older” firemen got start- ed in the student program. i Nobody expects the youl'ig men to an- swer a fire call when they are playing in a basketball or football game. But if they are sitting on the bench, they have the option of answering the call. Latenight calls are common. The boys keep their gear beside their beds, ready to hop into for a 3 am. fire or a 5 am. aid call. Then it’s off to class a few hours later. Camp, the history teacher, said he got the idea from reading how schoolboys 321m fight fires during America’s colonial ys. Unless a home bore an official plaque, indicating that its owner had paid for pr0< fessional fire protection, houses were ig- nored when they caught fire. Schoolboys saved the homes of the poor. “At the outset there was some concern about the students maintaining a certain gradepoint average to qualify,” Camp said. “But who cares if you have a 3.0 grade point when your house is burning?" , Granite Falls Historical Society,Documents (articles, clippings, letters, papers),General Articles & Documents,General Articles,General Articles 05,Newspaper (2005.24.17),Newspaper (2005.24.17) 1, Newspaper (2005.24.17) 1