shoreupdate.com

The History of the Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department is due for a “soft release” at the upcoming Cash Bash on September 18th. Anyone fortunate enough to get a ticket to the Cash Bash (which was sold out in only a few months) will be part of the special crowd to get an early glimpse at a new book about the KIVFD. It will also be an opportunity to buy a copy and if these books are anything like a Cash Bash ticket, you better buy them now!

According to author, Brent Lewis, “This idea was brought to me by KIVFD president Jody Schulz after the realization island native Billy Lane was the organization’s last surviving original member.” Lewis had just finished a book published by The History Press titled Remembering Kent Island so this author was the perfect writer to conduct oral history interview with past KIVFD members and current leadership.

This book is meant to provide a short narrative history of Kent Island’s last six decades through the eyes of some of the people in our community who have devoted themselves to  providing their neighbors with emergency services. And although this is the story of one specific volunteer fire department, it’s also meant to reflect the compassion, bravery, dedication and kinship universal in the mettle of those who serve.

The History of the Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department will include photos provided by various members of the department and community. Chapters include the department’s early years, various volunteers past and present, equipment and training, changing times and modern times, the carnival, parades and fund raising/social functions.

The book’s preface states, “Even if you’ve never personally experienced the tragedy of losing all your possessions—or even worse, loved ones—to fire or accident, there is an awareness of that potential horror ingrained in all of us. Everybody’s life, either intimately or through association, can be touched by misfortune and catastrophe. Sometimes life is harsh. Yet there are those among us who volunteer their time, their effort and even their lives to making the rest of us safer. They provide us with the chance, improve the odds, that maybe the worst moments of our existence might turn out okay after all. They make life a little less harsh.”

To read more, come out as a guest to the Cash Bash ($30 at the door) or make sure to mark your calendar for main unveiling on November 5th at the Harvest BrewFest held at Fisherman’s Crab Deck to benefit the KIVFD building fund. Call Sandra Early at 410-643-6288 for more information.