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April 17, 2009
Declared
"Ted Finco Day" |
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Click thumbnail to
Enlarge Proclamation |
| Wakefield - April 14, 2009 |
April 17, 2009
was proclaimed "Ted Finco Day" by Mayor
Richard Bolen and the Wakefield
City Council. At the regularly scheduled Wakefield
City Council meeting last night friends and family
came to honor Ted Finco. Ted has retired as
Chief of the Wakefield Volunteer Fire Department
after being Chief for fourteen years., but he
remains on board as a Volunteer Firemen.
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| Pictured above "Theodore "Ted"
Finco receiving the City Proclamation and a
special badge from the Wakefield Fire Chief. |
| Ted joined the Wakefield Fire Department in
September of 1968. He joined as Assistant Chief
under Chief Jim Rolando and also served under
Chief Tony Valesano for many years. Ted tells us
"When I joined the department, there were not any
schools available to teach the men to be
firefighters. We learned by watching the older
firemen and asking questions. The schooling became
available in the early 1980’s. It used to be 61
hours of training per fireman; now it’s gone up to
155 hours of training per fireman. "
Today Ted is still the President of the Gogebic
Fire Training Council. A position he's held for
many years. |
| Back when Chief Finco joined the department,
the city had a 1940 Ford and a 1965 Chevrolet fire
truck. Both were very good fire fighting trucks.
In 1977 the city purchased a new Ford fire truck;
and again in 1991 purchased a new Seagrave truck.
It was one of the best made. At present we have a
2006 Freightliner/Simmons fire truck.
Ted states "Some of the other big changes since
I joined in 1968 are the fact that we now use
SCBA’S (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus), a new
type of turn out gear; bunker pants, short
jackets, short boots, and much improved helmets.
There are also women firefighters in some
departments."
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| We met Ted last summer while
covering our first Fireman's Tournament which was
held in Houghton Ted has attended every
Fireman's Tournament since joined the
department. This year in Florence Ted will again
be there - for the 40th time. |
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