East Bloomfield Fire Chief Derrick Legters stands next to one of the East Bloomfield-Holcomb fire trucks at the fire hall. Photo by Ben Appleton
We can all think of cultural staples in our communities. Whether it’s a park, a business, a street or a building, every town has something that gathers its people together, something that is integral to the very identity of the community. For a young Derrick Legters, that something was his local fire department.
Legters, raised in Clymer, a small town tucked away in southwestern New York, says that growing up he always wanted to help in the fire department. The opportunity to help others in his community appealed to him at a young age, and he saw the department involved in the community on a regular basis.
Right out of college, Legters became involved in the Perry department, and four years later moved to the East Bloomfield district. That was in 1992. Now, nearly 25 years later, Legters is a husband and father of two, and works as an electrician. But in conjunction with his job, he serves as the East Bloomfield Fire Chief, and still seems to love the notion of being a part of the department as much as he did decades ago.
East Bloomfield served some 200 calls last year, a rate that is above average, especially considering the small population of the area. Legters says that much of this can be drawn back to busy roadways (Routes 5&20, 64, 444, etc), as motor vehicle accidents account for 30% of calls. Though emergency calls are never good news, they do contribute to the East Bloomfield Fire Department being very involved in its community. The department members are local folks like Legters, ones who are interested in the well-being of their community and the people in it.
However, East Bloomfield is a volunteer department, meaning there is constant need for new faces in the system. According to Legters, the department sees one or two new volunteers each year, a number that may seem small, but suits the needs of the area. Unfortunately, of these new volunteers, only about 20% remain with the department for an extended period of time. Legters says that many volunteers lose enthusiasm after a short while. Being an active member requires a serious time commitment, and can involve some very risky situations. But the commitment and risks, Legters says, are all worth it to help out neighbors in need.
East Bloomfield-Holcomb Fire Department’s new fire hall, completed in 2014. Photo by Ben Appleton
What’s more, the department cleans up pretty nicely, too. The year-long project of building a new facility was completed in mid-2014, making the department one of the nicest and largest in the area. Placed on the upper-side of Main Street the huge building certainly stands out as a recognizable Bloomfield landmark.
That beautiful structure in East Bloomfield is a resemblance of what can be found inside it: a group of hard-working people dedicated to their community. Derrick Legters is among that dedicated number, among them doing something he has aspired to do since he was little. You wouldn’t know it just by seeing him walk down the street. Then again, maybe you would. People like Legters, the volunteers among us, seem to radiate selflessness and the love, the true values of our communities.
