| Jan 11, 2017


After a whopping 68 years with the Oso/Central Frontenac Fire Department, Keith Hawley has hung up the bunker gear.

“I didn’t like him going out at night any more,” said Irene, his wife of 37 years.

Hawley, 87, is the last surviving member of the original department, formed officially in 1950.

“There were 13 or 14 of us,” he said. “In ’49, there was a fire at Keirstead’s store and that sort of brought the need for a fire department to a head.

“We had a meeting after that, and then another meeting in 1950 when we formed the department.”

That first department was high on enthusiasm but low on equipment, he said.

“Jack Simonett had a ’48 army truck that we used to haul around a two-wheel pump in the back of it,” Hawley said. “George Allen, who sold the store to the Keirsteads, had been a fire chief in Toronto but didn’t want to be one any more so Joe Harris became the first chief.

“George, however, did train the rest of us and told us what to do.”

Harris drove transport in those days and so shortly after, Verdon Morrow took over as chief. Understandably, Hawley can’t really remember how many chiefs he’s served under but a couple of names came to mind.

“Percy Lake and Bill Warren were both chiefs for quite awhile he said. “And Joel Snell.”

In 1959, Hawley and four other firefighters decided they really needed a pumper.

“We didn’t have the money, so the five of us went to the Royal Bank in Perth to borrow $1,000 each,” he said. “The Royal Bank didn’t want to give us the money so we went to another bank.

“The fellow at the other bank got on the phone to the Royal and after lunch, we had our loans.

“The Township told us if we could get the pumper, they’d build us a fire hall, which they did, but they didn’t give us any money for the pumper.”

Hawley has served as secretary for the fire department for many years, including right up until his retirement.

He seems uncomfortable with accolades and titles, despite having been a captain (“it’s just a name really”) and having been honoured by the Fire Marshall’s office with medals for 25, 50 and 60 years service (just shrugs).

“There was a need, so we filled it,” he said. “Bob England and I were on the resuscitator for many years.”
He remembers many events, such as going as far as Ompah to fight fires in the early days, and said the biggest fire was probably when the Sharbot Lake Hotel burned down in the late ’70s. Despite the inherent danger in the job, he said he was never scared.

“There were times I was a little worried,” he said.

The biggest difference he noticed over the years was the compensation a ‘volunteer’ firefighter gets.

“At first, we didn’t get paid at all,” he said. “Then Natural Resources gave us $2 an hour for fighting forest fires.

“A little bit later, the Township gave us $5 per fire.

“Now, they get paid for going to meetings.”

Hawley, an electrician by trade, said he “got along with everybody” and “never used the siren.”

“Keith was a leader,” Irene said. “He wouldn’t wait for someone else to do it.’

“I enjoyed it,” he said.

Keith and Irene are now turning their attention to writing a book on the history of the Oso Fire Department.

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