Page 68 - History of the Colton Fire Department

1956 of the training decisions had been a joint
On September 18, 1956, the voters effort between Ed Temby, Don Dunniway
overwhelmingly approved a bond issue of and himself”; but, Ed Temby had always
$80,000 for a new fire station, pumper, and maintained that Alan Teague was the driv-
improvement of facilities part of which ing force.
was to install the original fire alarm system So that firefighters could gain ex-
which had laid idol within the department perience much quicker, there were nu-
since 1937. After consulting professional merous live fire burns hosted by Colton.
help it was determined that the existing Other departments such as, State Forestry,
Gamewell fire alarm system could be used. Riverside, Rialto, Redlands, County Fire
The department requested assistance from Districts, Fontana, Muscoy, Bloomington,
San Bernardino City Fire Department, As- Loma Linda and San Bernardino would
sistant Chief Seiger J. Pruiksma and Ed participate.
Duram from the Gamewell Company in
the installation of the fire alarm system. 1957
Chief Temby gave special credit to Assist- The new fire station at Rancho Avenue and Long
ant Chief Don Dunniway for making the Beach Drive open for the public to view stated
installation possible to comply with the Chief L.E. Temby. The new $35,000.00 station is
a subsidiary of -the department headquarters on
Underwriter’s requirements of 1937. lOth and E Street.
An open air, three story platform - Colton Courier, November 14, 1957.
training tower was constructed from tel-
ephone poles. This tower remained in op- 1958
eration for 50 years, till 2001. Colton Personnel during 1958
The department was heavily com-
mitted to the training of its personnel and L. (Ed)Temby, Chief
much of the credit for the training can Don Dunniway, Assistant Chief
be given to Alan Teague. Captain Alan Harry Norfleet, Inspector
Teague started Colton’s Training program Robert Trimble, Inspector
which gained a great deal of notoriety Frank Miller, Captain
throughout Southern California. As an Jack Russell, Captain
example, the newly organized Blooming- Alan Teague, Captain
ton Fire District utilized Colton’s training Joseph Howe, Engineer
facilities and under the direction of Alan Walter Skelly, Engineer
Teague the department trained Blooming- Keith Crabtree, Engineer
ton’s newly hired firefighters at the Colton Sam Russell, Engineer
facility. Alan Teague later became Bat- Ray White, Engineer
talion Chief in charge of Operations and Norm Madsen, Fireman
in Department in 1977 became Colton’s William Greer, Fireman
3rd fulltime Chief. Dennis Bickers was Marvin McPike, Fireman
the last person to be hired by Chief Alan Paul Mellen, Fireman
Teague in February of 1982. During a Jerry Kelly, Fireman
conversation that Dennis had with Ray Branneman, Fireman
68 Al Teague in 2010, Al said “Much