Highland Hose members Bob Sims and Terry Chambon set example in community service

Tarentum native Bob Sims turned 18 in 1948 and was crestfallen to learn he couldn’t join his two older brothers on the front lines as firefighters.

The charter for Highland Hose Volunteer Fire Company was full, said Sims, who at 93 easily recalls his disappointment.

“I had to wait three months to get in,” he said.

Sims never took his eventual membership for granted. He served 50 active years and then spent another 25 in various roles such as president and secretary.

He is the second-longest-serving member of the department, housed along East Eighth Avenue at Corbet Street.

“It’s something that not too many people have,” Sims said. “I feel wonderful to have made it.”

Sims was among those honored for their dedication Monday, Oct. 2, during a volunteer recognition banquet, surrounded by family, friends and fellow emergency workers.

Chief Engineer Terry Chambon also was recognized for logging 50 active years with the company.

Representatives from the offices of state Sen. Lindsey Williams and state Rep. Mandy Steele presented the pair with legislative citations.

“I love it here,” said Chambon, 69. “The camaraderie with everyone is great.”

He half-joked that the pair had no choice but to stay.

“If we go, there’s nobody to take our place,” Chambon said.

Highland Hose was founded in 1894 as the First Ward Fire Company. It was officially renamed in 1913.

In its heyday, like most other departments across the country, there was upward of 40 or more active members.

“We still have people interested, but they’re not knocking the doors down like they used to,” Chambon said. “We need people, that’s for sure.”

Chambon said that in the 1970s, there were 300,000 volunteer firefighters across the state.

Today, that number is about 38,000.

“We need to get through to these young ones that you don’t have to run in with the nozzle, or be the one that cuts the hole in the roof,” Chambon said. “We have nine different functions they can serve.

“They’ll not only be helping their fellow man, they’d be helping their community.”

Fire President Bob Stoebener credited volunteers like Sims and Chambon with keeping the department vital.

“It’s fantastic that we have people that are as dedicated as they are,” Stoebener said. “They take such great pride not only in Highland Hose, but also in the community.

“When I first joined, (Sims) was one of the first people to come up and shake my hand.”

Neither Sims nor Chambon wanted to recount their most memorable fire calls, saying it stirred up too much emotion. But both said they have logged countless good times and good friends as a result of their years of service.

“We used to have a Battle of the Barrel here where we’d put a keg up on a cable and compete with other departments to shoot it with water across the line,” Sims said. “It was great.”

Chambon, a native of Long Beach, Calif., said he was active with Boy Scouts as a child. It stirred a passion for forestry, which led to him joining Highland Hose at age 19.

He served as chief for 21 years. Now, as chief engineer, he maintains the department’s three vehicles. A special feather in the company’s cap is the well-preserved vintage showpiece parked at the fire hall, a 1931 Ahrens Fox.

For Sims, joining the fire department was a natural step. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older brothers.

“There were five of us Sims boys, and we all became life members,” he said.

The family homestead where they lived with their parents and five sisters wasn’t too far from the station. Each of the brothers ultimately served at least 50 years.

“I’ve met a bunch of nice people along the way, and I really wish the young ones would join,” he said. “It’s great, and we need them.”