FREDERICK,
Md. – During a Sept. 18 meeting, the Frederick County
Board of Commissioners agreed to help the National Fire Heritage
Center get established in Emmitsburg.
“The
interest in the fire heritage museum has been growing since
May of last year,” said Austin Abraham, Frederick
County Management Services Division director.
The
National Fire Heritage Center would house a county fire
and rescue museum where the current Emmitsburg Ambulance
Company bays are and a national archive of fire service
documents, books and manuscripts at the back of the ambulance
company building where the social hall now is.
“Logically,
for a site, it makes a lot of sense,” said Clarence
“Chip” Jewell, chairman of the fire museum committee.
“Emmitsburg is the seat of the nation’s fire
service.” This is because of the presence of the National
Fire Training Center and the National Fallen Firefighters
Memorial in town.
Besides
requesting to be able to lease the ambulance company building
for $1 a year when the new ambulance company building is
opened, the Frederick County Fire and Rescue Museum and
Preservation Society requested that the county perform some
initial light maintenance work and operational funding for
the building for first two years.
The
county costs would be $16,700 for the current fiscal year
and $10,000 in the next fiscal year.
“I
think it is a minimal investment to protect the history
of the county fire service,” said Commission President
Jan Gardner.
One
of the major changes to the building once it becomes a museum
would be to add a facade on the front of the building so
that it looks like an old fire hall.
While
Commissioner John L. Thompson, Jr. said the cause was worthwhile,
he said he couldn’t support the effort.
“These
kinds of things are best funded by the philanthropic members
of our community,” Thompson said, adding that he would
be willing to make a personal donation.
The
commissioners voted 3-2 to supporting the fire museum and
providing the needed funding.
Eventually
the archive portion of the building will be moved to its
own location since it is expected to outgrow the social
hall area of the ambulance company in about five years.
“They
are looking for land actually in the Emmitsburg area for
an actual archive facility,” Jewell said.
Jewell
said the next step will be to make a presentation to the
county fire association, set up membership parameters and
begin fund raising. He is hoping to have the museum portion
of the building open by April 2008. The archive area could
open earlier.
“I’d
love to see us participate in the museum season next year,”
Jewell said.
