During his 29-year career with the City of Springfield Fire Rescue Department, Richard Bennett attended several Firemen’s Balls, as they were then known.
Bennett, a retired captain and the current treasurer and secretary of the Springfield Retired Firefighters Association, also acts as a historian for the department and reflected on them.
“We had fun, and I’m tickled to death they’ve brought it back,” said Bennett, who also attended the two recent revivals. “It’s a little different now, but a great way for active guys to dress in their Class A uniforms, which are nicer than the ones we had, and meet people.”
Something of a historian for local firefighters, Bennett dug into the department’s history books and shared the first Firemen’s Ball was around 1953.
They were normally held at the Clark County Fairgrounds on New Years’ Eve, although at least one was in September.
Bennett, who joined the department in 1964, recalled a number of people attending. There was no meal, and the bands performed more ballroom music than the rock and pop played now.
With around 145 members of the department back then, it was a rare chance to socialize together.
“The way stations worked back then, we didn’t know everybody from other shifts and stations. This way you could meet and talk to other firefighters you didn’t know. I remember meeting a guy from my high school I didn’t even know was in the department.”
Sometime in the 1970s the balls moved to Memorial Hall, and ended in the latter part of the decade. Bennett said it’s interesting to look at the old books from previous events and see the many sponsorships from business that don’t exist anymore.
Unfortunately, Bennett said he won’t make this year’s ball, as he’ll be visiting his grandson out of town. But he’s glad to see the tradition continue this way.
“It’s nice when you can interact with the public and it’s not on a 9-1-1 call. You get to know a lot of people. It’s also nice to have city officials and people there, and you’re not across a table from them negotiating something. It’s just awesome to get it going again.”
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