Waltham Fire Chief Larry Perry looks back on 50 years of firefighting

Waltham Fire Chief Larry Perry looks back on 50 years of firefighting

On Saturday (November 12), four founding members of the Waltham Fire Department were honored for their 50 years of service to the community. Chief Larry Perry, Raymond Bechamp, Charles Ethier and Earl Grieve were part of a group of citizens who gathered in 1971 to discuss the creation of a fire service following a house fire that displaced a large family.

Perry said that they had to make due with with equipment available, noting that the first firetruck the department had was a truck outfitted with a used fuel tank and a pump rigged up on the back. Perry remarked that it worked quite well.

Perry thanked all the past and current members of the department as well as their spouses and families for their sacrifices over the years.

The full interview with Perry (23m20) is available here.

Four of the founding members of the Waltham Fire Department, from left: Raymond Bechamp, Charles Ethier, Larry Perry and Earl Grieve