Credit: Office Of Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick
If you live near the Edgely Fire Company, chances are you’ll be hearing the siren a lot these next few days.
The siren, is being used to call all in-house volunteers to the station for the setting up and planning of a very special event, the viewing and memorial service of America’s longest serving firefighter.
John Doster, who passed Thursday at the age of 96, had served the company, most recently as their fire police member, for 82 years.
Just one day after his passing, Edgely Chief Carl Pierce announced Doster’s passing will be classified as a line of duty death. State officials have already submitted the paperwork, the chief said.
Doster, whose cause of death has not been determined as of press time, fell ill immediately after volunteering as a fire police member at the two alarm fire in Hulmeville in late February. As Deputy Chief Joe Cavanaugh noted, within a few hours of directing traffic on that bitter cold night, Doster was taken by ambulance to St. Mary’s Hospital. He never left the hospital and was instead transferred directly to hospice care.
Doster’s viewing and funeral services, which will begin later next week, are expected to draw not just a local crowd, but a national one.
According to Cavanaugh, with the help of the State Fire Commissioners Office, Doster will be buried with full honors. Doster’s position title known as FP-10 will also be retired within Ten House.
Cavanaugh noted as a firefighter, your death being labeled as a ‘line of duty death’ is already a superb honor.
While the flag outside the station will remain at half-staff for 30 days, Doster will leave a gaping hole within the structure of the fire company forever.
“Getting quality volunteers, it’s not what it used to be,” said Cavanaugh. “In the nine years I’ve been here, 60 people have come and gone, it’s rare people even live 82 years, let alone volunteer that many years to the fire service. I think we can safely say that will never happen again.”
Credit: Amanda Kuehnle/LevittownNow.com
Cavanaugh and Pierce remembered Doster fondly Friday night, recalling him as an outspoken man, who did his thing and had a superior dedication to Edgely.
“Everybody knew John, whether it was in Falls or Bristol Borough,” Cavanaugh told LevittownNow.com. “That only comes when you give all your time to the community.”
Pierce, who called Doster a “legend,” said people often criticized the station for allowing someone of Doster’s age to still be active within the company. “I always told people, had we stopped him, he would have died 25 years ago. That man had a passion for Edgely.”
While Ten House will mourn the loss of their true hero, Pierce said they will get through it. “We thought we were good after the Silvi collapse. Now it’s this; but we’ll get through it, it’s what we do.”
Doster’s services will begin with two separate viewings and a memorial service at Edgely Fire Company (1200 Edgely Ave.) and a procession to honor the fallen firefighter. The viewings will be held Thursday April 9 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday April 10 from 10 to 11 a.m. A memorial service honoring Doster will follow at 11 a.m.. Interment will be held at Sunset Memorial Cemetery on County Line Road.
