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WEATHERSFIELD -- Township resident John Springsteen, who served 22 years as a volunteer firefighter in New York, was officially named an honorary Weathersfield Township firefighter.
Township Admin-istrator David Rouan said at Tuesday's trustees meeting that Springsteen was presented a proclamation last week noting the honor. Springsteen died this week, officials said.
Trustee Steve Gerberry said Springsteen served as a volunteer firefighter at the rank of second lieutenant for 22 years in Rensselaer, New York. He said after Springsteen completed his fire service, he moved to Weathersfield in 2020.
The proclamation states that Springsteen's passion for firefighting was reflected in his statement "some men are just born with fire trucks in their soul."
Gerberry said trustees wanted to honor Springsteen for his sacrifice, dedication and commitment to the firefighting profession. Fire Capt. Jeff Tucker said Springsteen had an old fire vehicle he would show at community events and he had a collection of fire service memorabilia that he showcased in the community.
"He was a historian and had a lot of memorabilia from different fire departments," Gerberry said.
He also had a cat named "Smokey Joe."
Also, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2074 presented $5,000 donations to the fire and police departments to be used for safety equipment. Trustees said the safety equipment will be used to enhance the safety and preparedness of first responders.
In other business, trustees:
• Approved Matthew Freel, Brandon Bingham and Robert Chambers as probationary firefighters, and Trenton Cochran as a junior firefighter.
• Will seek a $952 safety intervention grant from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation to purchase a $1,270 snow blower with a local match of $318.
• Approved proceeding with removal of junk motor vehicles at 2509 Beech St., 2188 N. Glenwood Ave., and 1375 Emerson Ave.
• Announced the annual tree lighting ceremony with Santa and Mrs. Claus is set for 5 p.m. Dec. 7 at the park.
• Entered into an agreement with Sundance Systems Inc. of Valley View at $13,740 through December 2025 for providing mobile data terminals and a reports management system for the police department.