“When
you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the
flames will not set you ablaze.
For
I am the LORD your God.”
~
Isaiah 43: 2-3
The
Firemen’s Drinking Fountain stands prominently at “Firemen’s Curve” in the
heart of downtown Slatington, Pennsylvania on a September afternoon, just has
it has for more than a century.
Members
of Slatington’s Hose Company #1 dedicated this 12 foot firemen’s monument in
1910. Manufactured by the J.W. Fiske Iron Works New York, N.Y., the fireman holding
a child was chosen as a symbol of service, vigilance and humanity. E.T. Barnum
Co., Detroit, Michigan, manufactured the fountain to provide water for man and
beast. Standing as a living memorial to all volunteer firemen, the statue is a
tribute to the heroes who stand ready to serve, at any hour, in any type of
weather, and without pay.
When
the statue was badly damaged by a car in 1979, the community rallied to raise
money for its restoration; it was rededicated in 1980.
The
statue was recently refurbished, including electricity connected to the
lantern, water hooked up to the fountain, and a black sponge-painted effect put
on the base. It was rededicated during a September 11, 2017 ceremony.
Slatington,
established in 1864, is the Blackboard Capital of America.
Fire
Prevention Week is observed October 8-14, 2017.
The
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has been the official sponsor of
the Fire Prevention Week since 1922, when the commemoration began.
President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the first National Fire Prevention Week
on October 4-10, 1925, beginning a tradition of the President of the United
States signing a proclamation recognizing the occasion. It is observed on the
Sunday through Saturday period in which October 9 falls, in commemoration of
the Great Chicago Fire, which began October 8, 1871, and did most of its damage
October 9. 
