by David Flint
“You can’t go through a crisis in a community without sticking together,” in the words of NY State Senator Roy McDonald. He was one of the speakers at the Berlin Fire Hall on Saturday at a commemorative observance of the 1962 disaster that burned much of the town. “Nobody’s an island,” McDonald said, “whether it’s a small personal problem or a major catastrophe. Community is what it’s all about. Thank you for your service and for your love of your community.”
[private]McDonald also delivered a message from Congressman Chris Gibson who saluted the fire, rescue and law enforcement personnel and private citizens in Berlin and surrounding communities “who risked their lives to respond to this scene.”
Mark Streb from the Governor’s office was there, too. “Out of this tragedy arose a narrative of courage, perseverance and triumph,” Governor Cuomo wrote, “Your community demonstrated a commitment to not only heal from the loss but to emerge stronger and even more resolute than before.”
Fire Chief Billy Osterhout acted as host and started off the event by showing a video that had been made for the 1992 commemoration. Tables were laid out with a myriad of newspaper clippings and other memorabilia of the disaster. Other speakers included County Executive Kathy Jimino, Bob Bentley, who was Town Supervisor at the time, Town Historian Sharon Klein, Deacon Charles Hakes, who showed a video of the rebuilding of the First Baptist Church, and Grace Goodermote, who recalled how the truck driver’s wife, Elizabeth McLucas, visited the families of the deceased and apologized for her husband’s accident. “Imagine the courage, the strength…May we never be in a position where we cannot forgive and be forgiven,” Goodermote said.
Guest Speaker was County Fire Coordinator Ivan Wager, one of three surviving Berlin firefighters who fought the 1962 fire and the only one still active in the fire service. Wager corrected a statement attributed to him in The Eastwick Press that an end cap from a house trailer had been found near the Brazie residence. It was the end cap from the 7,000 gallon propane tank that had blown out when the truck crashed.
Wager recounted the efforts that firefighters and rescue personnel from all around made that night and in subsequent days. He spoke about how they had to withdraw from the roof of the Baptist Church when sparks began coming through the tarpaper; Ruth Wager trying to save her house – dragging hose that would take three or four firemen to manage; Berlin’s old Dodge fire truck on the hydrant at the Church; Jack Sweeney with his bulldozer damming up the brook about where the bus garage is now; loading water at Seagroatt’s bridge; stopping at Elmer Jandrow’s or Clarence Williams’ to fill up 5-gallon gasoline cans to refuel the fire trucks – didn’t have to fill out any slips at Jandrow’s; the State Trooper constantly getting in the way more than any of the spectators and leaving his cruiser parked haphazardly; the women at the telephone switchboard helping with communications and keeping out-of-town relatives informed; the firemen finally tapping out after three days; hot spots flaring up for days afterwards and sirens going off as fires rekindled.
“I’m thankful we didn’t lose more people,” Wager said. As bad as it was, with 7,000 gallons of propane multiplying 100 times as it vaporized, it could have been a lot worse. “It brought us real close,” he said. The Berlin Fire Department had a limit of 42 people at the time. Three years later, with Wager as Chief, the Department was expanded to 60 active firefighters along with 26 in the Auxiliary and 24 in the Rescue Squad. “People wanted to participate, to get involved,” Wager recalled. “Now after 50 years, I guess it sort of wore off.”
Wager said it takes a commemoration like this to make us think, “to make us want to be brothers and sisters again.” After the commemorative service at the Baptist Church last week he gave a pep talk to Department members back at the Fire House. As Fire Coordinator he takes note of certain hassles and splits that have taken place throughout the county. “It’s time to change that, I told them. It’s time to go back to being sisters and brothers again. This could happen again.”
Much was learned from the experience. Wager noted that a lot of procedures, laws and regulations were changed, including those relating to the transport of hazardous materials. But even if they had had today’s training and equipment back then, he did not think they could have saved any of the buildings or lives that were lost.
Wager believes it may have been the Lord’s intent that he go on to spend a 50 year career in the fire service. “I started on a church roof – He was with us, I guess – we got off the church roof alive and here we are today…But I hope none of us have to see anything like this again.”
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