Jack Cashman This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. Firehouse.com: Firefighter Safety: Know Your Enemy #40

   cms.firehouse.com/content/arti - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/29/2003   Last Visited: 6/27/2004

   Jack Cashman and I were friends for over 60 years. We met in 1937 when we were fellow buffs at 24 Truck in Midtown Manhattan.
   
   Like myself he was a founding members of the Fire Bell Club. I am now the only survivor.
   
   Jack entered FDNY. He came from a fire fighting family. His grandfather was a volunteer who joined the new paid department in 1865, and rose to Deputy Chief.
   ...
   Jack was active in the organization of the Levittown, New York Fire Department formed to protect the huge community that sprang up in potato fields to house returning veterans. He was it's first Chief.
   
   After he retired as Lieutenant of 5 Truck after 26 years "south of 14th St", he was Chief of the Barrington, RI Fire Department for ten years. After a standing ovation from the citizens at a public meeting he was fired by the city manager for refusing to sign documents saying that an old three story school being converted to senior housing, was only two stories high and thus did not need sprinklers.
   
   Those of you who study "Building Construction for the Fire Service" are the beneficiaries of a number of nuggets of his hard won experience worked into the text. He is a charter member of the FDNY Honor Legion (At least 5 citations for bravery). He holds the Delehanty and Department Medals for valor. One of his several citations is a Class II for his great personal risk in the Broadway collapse rescues.
   ...
   Now Jack tells the story in his own words