December 18, 2015 (Album) - The Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department (JVFD) held their annual Christmas party at the First Baptist Church in Joaquin on Saturday, December 12, 2015 and honored many of their current and former members during that time.
After everyone present had time to finish their meals and Santa Claus made a visit, JVFD Fire Chief Perry Pugh welcomed everyone to the dinner and introduced Jeremy Boyett, First Assistant Chief, and Rusty Wilson, Chief Financial Officer, to make presentations.
Wilson stated the first service award being presented takes a lot of dedication, "It's our service award for most runs, and being a volunteer department we all can't make the calls." He then said the fireman with the most runs for 2015 being present for 92% of their calls was Chief Perry Pugh.
JVFD has two meetings a month, every month, on the second and fourth Monday. The two recipients of Perfect Attendance for attending those meetings were Steve Cockrell and Perry Pugh.
"There's no person in the room that we're more proud of than our leaders, and our leader, and we appreciate him and we appreciate his experience," said Wilson. "Tonight I want to present the service award, and we have two service awards, and one that couldn't be here with us and I recognize at this time. Jim Strong has a service of 30 years."
Wilson then presented the second service award to Chief Perry Pugh in recognition of his 40 years of service with the JVFD., "We could not do without his experience and his years behind the JVFD."
Pugh received his award and reminisced on when he first felt the desire to become a fireman, "1976 my brother, three years older than me, he came home one evening and he had a yellow fire hat in his hand. I said, 'what are you doing with that?' He said, 'I just joined the fire department.' Him and Mike and Ike Cummings and James Walker, they all joined the same night, and I knew then I was next."
Jessie Griffith then presented the Fireman of the Year award to Chief Perry Pugh.
A final dedication was made toward the end of the evening, and Chief Pugh shared a history of the department which is relevant to the dedication. It was on the night of March 8, 1973 that the Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department was organized. At this meeting there was a total of 48 people present. Much interest was shown, but a few of these men actually began the fire department.
As of March 2001, 28 years later, three firemen had stayed with the fire department. They are Steve Cockrell, Jim Hutto, and Elmer Mathews. Elected as Chief was Travis Rodgers with Steve Cockrell as Assistant Chief. Rodgers remained Chief for six months, then Cockrell became Chief and remained as such for almost five years. In March 1977, Mathews was elected Chief and remained until 1987, Mike Wood was elected Chief and remained until 1993. Mathews was re-elected Chief, served for another seven years and then Wood was elected again in March 2000 as Chief and served until December 31, 2009.
Perry Pugh was elected to the position of Chief. It was in January and February of 1974 that the department received coats, boots and hats. On May 8, 1974 they received their new red pumper truck. In December 1974 they received the white army truck from the Texas Forest Service. In June 1974 they began training each meeting. In July of 1973 Rodgers and Cockrell went to Texas A&M Fire Training School for 1 week of instruction in Firefighting I. This began training that has continued each July. In 1980 Wood and Mathews became Guest Instructors for the school each year.
After Chief Pugh shared the story of the department, the evening turned more somber.
"I got to thinking about the fire department, and it wouldn't be what it is without four people and I'm going to honor them tonight. This is something I've started and we're going to add to it I hope, every year," said Chief Pugh.
Boyett then uncovered the Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department Wall of Honor and Chief Pugh honored the Class of 2015: Jim Hutto, Retired Chief, Assistant Chief; Mike Wood, Retired Chief, Assistant Chief and Training Officer; Elmer Mathews, Retired Chief and Training Officer; Steve Cockrell, Assistant Chief. The firemen honored and their family members were each presented with a plaque.
Mike Wood's daughter Janie Jones accepted the plaque on his behalf, "I just want to say thank you for both of them, thank you from me and my family, for honoring my dad in such a special way," said Jones. "I've been in this fire department as long as he has, and I can remember when he joined, I can remember Perry [Pugh] joining the fire department. But I look at those faces that I don't know, and y'all are some very, very special people for doing the job that y'all do and I just want to thank y'all."
Steve Cockrell, who was also honored said, "Thank y'all, I've seen it come when we just had one truck, now we've got six trucks and it's come a long way. We've got some of these junior firemen coming up and it's a blessing to see them, so y'all just wouldn't believe what it is to see these junior firemen coming up."
Chief Pugh stated the honorees pictures will hang in the meeting room of the fire hall and additional firemen will be added each year.
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