Three Spencerport firefighters
honored for 50 years of service

Dick McQuilkin, Millard "Red" Fairley and Lyle Zarpentine are celebrating their 50th anniversary with the Spencerport Volunteer Fireman's Association. They were recently honored at the firemen's annual banquet for their service.

In an era when people typically don't stay in one career field or job for any length of time, it is extraordinary to have three individuals in the same year celebrate half a century of dedicated service to the Spencerport Fire Department.

Zarpentine and McQuilkin got started in the fire department because friends of theirs were firefighters, while Fairley joined Albion Fire Department (and then Spencerport) for the same reason, he got a taste of firefighting at an early age. When Fairley was growing up in Houlton, Maine, his mother rented out a room to a man who was the assistant fire chief. The assistant chief would take Fairley on fire calls.

All three stated that one of the reasons they continue to remain active is for the camaraderie. There is a true brotherhood in the fire service that can't be found anywhere else. Also, they enjoyed adding to, and helping the community. One of the reasons many people move here is because of a love for the community, but in order to keep the community strong, everyone must do their part to add to it and make it a little better.

Zarpentine has served in several capacities, working his way up to president of the department and has been captain of the Spencerport Fire Police for 26 years. McQuilkin worked his way up to chief, served on the board of directors and has been the Ogden Town Fire Marshal for 24 years. Fairley was a captain in the Albion Fire Department before moving to Spencerport, and served as Commissioner on the Ogden-Parma Fire District for 30 years.

After 50 years of service, there are several memorable moments that come to mind. McQuilkin remembers when he was an assistant fire chief running almost twenty fire calls on one Easter Sunday. "It felt like we were going from one fire to the next," McQuilkin said. Zarpentine remembers when fire equipment had to be stored throughout the village because there was not a building large enough to keep all the equipment under one roof. Fairley said that the most significant event for him occurred this past year when the village's and former Ogden-Parma Fire District consolidated into the Spencerport Fire District.

There is a lot to be said for an organization for which people are willing to give fifty years. Most importantly, it says a lot about the individuals who gave this time, who have missed countless dinners, hours of sleep, time away from family; not to mention putting themselves at risk to help others.