Didja
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Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
In 1998, as I was just delving into this
topic, I began asking friends about their experiences and
childhood ambitions. From those inquires an unscientific
questionnaire was developed and over the next four years,
the "Didja' Ever Want To Be a FIREMAN?" survey was
distributed to family, friends, colleagues, and via the
World Wide Web. Two hundred and nineteen replies were
received from forty-one states and four foreign countries.
It is to those 219 respondents -- firefighters,
"firefighters at heart," and others, that I am most
grateful. Every word they wrote, was one less word I needed
to write, and their words (your words) were much more
eloquent that mine.
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Thanks to my family. To dad for "chauffeuring" me to
hundreds of fires and fire stations, and to mom for waiting
ever so patiently in the car. To my brother Jeff (whom I can
proudly boast became a volunteer firefighter in part because
of my interest) and to my sisters who have graciously
accepted my overwhelming interest….
Thanks to Richard Flint, whose late-night conversation,
enthusiasm, and persistence, lead me to the Cooperstown
Graduate Program. Thanks also to Gretchen Soren, Lanny
Wright, Deb Prosser, Betty Hass, and all those at CGP,
NYSHA, and SUNY Oneonta. Thank you for taking a chance and
accepting me into the program, (at the last minute), and for
broadening my horizons to museum life beyond the fire house
doors. I am grateful for the experience (and the
fun!) and without the graduate program, I would not
have had reason to collect and analyze this data.…
Thanks to all my "fire friends." When I began this project
and approached various collectors and historians, they all
opened up their files and shared volumes of information and
photographs. Specifically I would like to "tip my helmet"
to: Henry Bergson; Bill Cary who provided a photograph from
his childhood (top of page 2) that served as my muse and
inspiration; Donald Collins, former fire company mascot and
Firemanics magazine publisher, and his 1988 article about
fire company mascots; Henry Dinneen, former Publisher, Fire
Engineering Magazine who provided unlimited access to both
the corporate archive and the photocopying machine; David
Freund, Conveyer of Visual Arts, Rampo College, for his work
on heroes; Melissa Hough, Director, CIGNA Museum & Art
Collection; Matt Lee; Rick Lockman and his children who all
want to be firefighters; Robert Marks; Bill Meszaros, James
Piatti; Doug Preston, who sold me the photo from Syracuse,
New York (bottom of page 21) that helped launch this
project; Bill Rechenmacher; Harry Rosenblum; Lee Ryan; Ken
Snyder; Gary Urbanowicz; B. Waites, for her groundbreaking
thesis on female firefighters, and for her friendship during
the arduous writing process; Mina Weiner, former Director,
New York City Fire Museum, who was not afraid to admit
ridding on a fire engine merry-go-round as a child; and to
second and third generation Aurora firefighters, Mike and
Glenn Zelensek….
Thanks to the 219, firefighters, "firefighters at heart,"
and other individuals who openly shared their childhood
remembrances in my "Didja' Ever Want To Be a FIREMAN?"
Survey. Although I will refrain from naming you all here,
you are listed in appendix II of the completed paper. When I
needed your help, you answered my call….
Most importantly, thanks to the fire service community at
large. You have been, and will remain, an inspiration to us
all!
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