Names in the News
Dover, N. H. Chief
David F. Bibber, a captain with the Fairfax County, Va., Fire and Rescue Services, has been named chief of the Dover, N. H., Fire Department. He succeeds Chief Walter Oates, who retired after 39 years with the department, the last six as its chief. Bibber assumed command on January-30.
Bibber joined the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Services in October 1965. He was promoted to technician in January 1968, lieutenant in August 1970 and captain in January 1975. He was a member of the Penn Daw Fire Department (Fairfax County Station No. 11) for seven years. During the past several months, he has acted as battalion chief responsible for supervising 99 men.
He will take command of a fire department of 39 men, operating out of two stations with five pumpers, two ladder trucks, one aerial and four miscellaneous vehicles.
San Jose Chief Retires
John K. Gerhard, chief of the San Jose, Calif., Fire Department since 1973, retired in March.
Gerhard’s retirement culminated 30 years of fire service in San Jose, where his emphasis was consistently on fire prevention education and activities. He joined the department in 1947 and was promoted to captain in 1955 and to battalion chief in 1961. He became fire marshal in 1962.
As fire marshal, he was largely responsible for the requirement of fixed fire extinguishing systems in restaurants, the banning of fireworks in San Jose, and the installation of automatic sprinklers in high-rise occupancies.
While he was chief, San Jose served as a pilot city for testing the Uniform Field Incident Reporting System (UFIRS). Automatic aid agreements were developed and implemented. He also established a public information office to make use of the news media for coverage of the fire department’s activities and day-to-day fire prevention public education. He also involved the department in Operation Firesafe, a plan to’ warn the half million San Jose reisdents of the value of smoke detectors, when a city ordinance making retroactive the requirement of smoke detectors in residential structures failed to pass.
Gerhard held memberships in the California Fire Chiefs Association, the international Association of Fire Chiefs and its Western Division, and the National Fire Protection Association.
Brizzard Retires
Alfred K. Brizzard, chief of the Morgan City, La., Fire Department since 1958, retired on March 31.
Brizzard was president of the volunteer fi ve department when it was organized as a paid department and he was named chief. At that time the department consisted of a chief and eight men, one pumper with another on order, and two fire stations. The chief was the only officer. Today, in addition to the chief, there are 25 men from fire fighter through captain, assistant chief, fire prevention chief and secretary. There are six pumpers, an emergency-utility vehicle, two staff cars and a general-use van.
Chief Roy Ludt Retires
Roy R. Ludt, chief of the Alhambra, Calif., Fire Department for the last 13 years, retired on December 31. He had been a member of the department for 38 1/2 years.
Ludt was a member of the California Fire Chiefs Association, and the Western division of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Association. He was sergeant at arms for the California Fire Chiefs Assocation for 10 years.
Hesselbacher Retires
Richard I. Hesselbacher, chief of the Elkins Park, Pa., Fire Company for 21 years, has announced his retirement.
Hesselbacher joined the volunteer department in 1941. He established a 22-phase training course for Elkins Park and was instrumental in organizing the Montgomery county Fire Training School.
He instituted a goal-oriented system among the volunteers, including a first class firemen’s rank. This rank could only be reach by the fire fighter’s being fully familiar with the operation of every piece of equipment in the the fire company, as well as being knowledgeable in advanced fire fighting techniques. Officers were selected from this group as needed.
Always progressive in his approach to fire fighting, Hesselbacher moved his company to 4-inch hose in 1972.
Hesselbacher remains a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Keystone State Fire Chiefs Association. He has been succeeded by Assistant Chief Joseph Goebel, a 37-year veteran fire fighter who was most recently the department training officer.
