The visible scars on his hands and neck left a lasting memory and perpetual reminder to Dan Snow of fire's deadly power.
"When I was 9, we had a structural fire in our house and I was burned from my hands, face, shoulders and more, and was in the hospital for 22 days," said Snow, 20, a lifelong resident of the Cassville-section of western Jackson.
"It's actually the same house I live in now," he said. "They (the Cassville Fire Company) responded right away, and some of the members here today were actually at that fire."
Witnessing the bravery and ongoing compassion shown by the firefighters of the Cassville Fire Company proved a motivating force for Snow, who knew he wanted to be like those who helped him and became a member of the fire company three years ago at the age of 17.
"It's such an adrenaline rush," he said. "The friendships that you get here are completely different than anything I've experienced anywhere."
Unwavering feelings of camaraderie and family are a constant theme for the Cassville Fire Company No. 1 since its very first days, borne from the efforts of a dozen or so men out of Norton's Garage in the Cassvillesection of Jackson.
Little did the group of men know at the time that the Cassville Fire Company would grow into the largest fire district in Jackson. With about 40 active volunteer members responsible for more than half of the town's overall geographic area, Cass- ville Fire Company protects over 65 square miles, including being the first fire company on call for the 1,000-plus acres of land at Six Flags Great Adventure.
About 10 years after its formation, the fire company built its very own firehouse on Toms River Road. After a fire of its own destroyed the firehouse in the mid 1960s, the community quickly rebounded to help rebuild the station bigger and better than ever, with a substation built on Miller Avenue in 1979 to handle the explosive growth of the fire district
The notorious wildfire of 1963 that swept through the entire Pinelands region did not spare Cassville. The largest wildfire in the region's recorded history burned more than 190,000 acres of land from Plumstead to Toms River, destroying 185 homes and killing seven people.
"We've definitely had our fair share of structural fires and house fires and things like that, but luckily nothing nearly as devastating as that," said Chief Matthew Genovese.
Keeping the tragic devastation of 1963 fresh in the mind is important for the fire company, which now faces a new set of obstacles should history ever repeat itself.
"Everyone still talks about that to this day, and is dreading if that ever happens again," said Genovese. "The thing we fear the most is that all of that was just trees at the time, but now with all the new development in Cassville and Jackson Township, there's millions of dollars worth of houses that would burn in a similar fire now."
The fire company has watched the changes rapidly transform the Cassville section of town, and the new challenges it poses.
"The biggest challenge for this fire company and the area is just the changing demographic of the town," said Genovese. "Where this company used to be a rural company, with our calls being predominantly brush fires, but now with the build-up of this town over the past 10 to 20 years, even just the past five years alone, we've greatly increased the number of residents in this district where we used to cover 65 square miles of trees, but now it's 65 square miles of residential development. So it definitely has put a burden on the company and stretched our resources to be able to cover all the calls that come up in our area."
Another fire in 2000 which engulfed an abandoned house near the Rova Farms Restaurant on Route 571, Cassville Road, points to another obstacle the fire company faces daily in western Jackson: a lack of fire hydrants.
"We had to draft water from the Rova Farms Lake and send it uphill to fight it," recalled Captain Justin Hanson.
To help overcome the water supply problem, the fire company must always bring its 8,500-gallon water tanker with them on calls.
"It becomes more complex because now we have two operations going on at the same time," Genovese explained. "One is keeping our water source continuous, and the other is actually putting out the fire."
While the influx of residential growth has put more of a burden on the shoulders of the fire company, it has also provided a new roster of eligible volunteers. Marc Costello is one of those new members, having joined the Cassville Fire Company after recently moving to Jackson from Manalapan.
"It's great out here, a great bunch of guys, and a great sense of community," said Costello. "They have such a great sense of pride in what they do out here."
As a member of the Cassville Ladies Auxiliary, Loretta Snow listened contently as the firefighters spoke of the dedication and commitment needed to be a firefighter.
"I know they say that it takes a special person to be a fireman, but it also takes a special person to be a fireman's wife," said Loretta Snow, the fiancée of President Doug Velting. "It takes a certain amount of patience and understanding of the whole situation, and know that sometimes you're going to take second place."
Costello agrees, saying the support of a firefighter's family is invaluable.
"I got very fortunate because my wife happens to be the daughter of a firefighter of 35 years, so she knew what it was like," said Costello. "That's where I got lucky."
A concerted effort has been made by Genovese and his officers, particularly Hanson, who's in charge of recruiting, to lure fresh, new blood into the fire company's ranks.
"It's a pretty young group here. A lot of
the younger generation has come onboard the past three or four years," said Genovese. "When I got here six years ago, between that time and now we probably added about 20 new faces, and we've lost a couple of older members who are no longer able to physically do it anymore. They're still around with us though, functioning in fundraisers and things like that."
To commemorate the nearly 70-year history of the fire district, the Cassville Fire Company will be holding a joint anniversary party and firetruck dedication ceremony on May 5, including music, fun and a fire truck motorcade to thank residents for their continued support.
"I can't say enough for the commitment these guys have and their professionalism," Genovese said of his members.
All of the firefighters agreed that Genovese is a fantastic chief, receiving their full support and loyalty since his first day on the job. For Genovese, such confidence from his men, and the responsibility that goes with his leadership is a humbling experience.
"I've been involved and associated with a couple of fire companies before coming to Cassville, and this is just the most welcoming group of guys I've ever been involved with," he said. "There's definitely no preconceptions, everyone is welcome here."
Whether you're interested in becoming a firefighter or perhaps just volunteering your time to help out the fire company in various capacities, the Cassville Fire Company has an open door policy, encouraging those interested to visit either their original firehouse on Toms River Road or their substation on Miller Avenue.
"Anyone who might be interested should just come down here," said Genovese. "We're always ready to show them around and show them what it's all about without any commitments."
