Remembering Thomas C. Elvins III - 66 Years of Volunteer Fire Service
From 1strespondernews.com
This article is written on behalf of the officers and members of the Independent Volunteer Fire Company who had the honor to call Tom a brother and a friend.
HAMMONTON, New Jersey – Veteran Fire Fighter Thomas C. Elvins III, of Hammonton; a 66 year Hammonton Volunteer, passed away Friday July 27th 2012, from injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident earlier this month in Egg Harbor Township.
This seasoned firefighter was known around the firehouse by a number of names, including....Continue Reading
Tom, Tommy, and Mr. Elvins. However, no matter what name he was called, he was always respected by his brother firefighters, for what he had done in the past for the country, the Fire Company and Department, and what he continued to accomplish and espouse each and every day of his 66 years of dedicated service to the town of Hammonton.
Three months after returning home from serving in the South Pacific during World War II, Tom was faced with a decision. Continue serving with the Hammonton Auxiliary Police, of which he was a charter member, or join the Hammonton Independent Volunteer Fire Company like his father, grandfather and great-grandfather before him.
Tom always believed that if you're going to do something, you might as well give it everything you have. He would joke that he had held every rank in the firehouse except for chief, serving the position of assistant chief three times as well as a number of other line and staff positions.
The firehouse where he spent much of his life is dedicated to his grandfather. But while Elvins was still very active prior to his death, he recognized that the fire service is completely different now than it was when he had joined. On-the-job training was how he learned to be a firefighter in the 1940's.
Tom thought his knowledge of firefighting and years of service have earned him credibility with younger generations. He always was straightforward and this earned him respect.
In May of 2011, just over a year prior to his passing, the fire company, department and town decided to honor Tom by holding a roast and truck dedication. This event was not only to honor him for his longtime service to the community, but to also poke fun at what made him so well liked and admired by so many.
What made Tom unique and such an asset was that at 88 years old, he worked as hard as a member half his age. He was always one of the first to arrive to the fire house when a call came in and constantly took pride in improving and repairing the building named after his family.
Tom was an iconic figure in the Hammonton Fire Department. He represented the best in each of us. He was the embodiment of a volunteer firefighter, from his quick and ready wit, to his complete professionalism that switched on when the bell went off.
In his last heroic act while injured himself, tried his hardest to protect and console his wife Dorothy, who was also involved in the accident.
"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." Tom was not a man to be highly concerned with what he received in life. He never stopped giving. He made a life to be proud of. He was the one whose coat-tails you wanted to be holding onto when things got interesting. He never backed down, he never quit, he never gave up, and he never gave in.
What we must remember is that even in the depths of our grief, we know there is more than sorrow here: there is valor, there is virtue and there is honor. So as we pause to celebrate the life of one of our best, we take comfort in knowing that his memory will always live on in the hearts of his brother fireman, family and friends.
