By Mike Myers, Sports Writer
Longtime area fireman and founding member of the Washington Township Fire Department, Russell Burris, 78, died Thursday.
Burris was remembered as a “trendsetter” by Dave Chapman, a former WTFD member who is currently a Battalion Chief with the city of Washington Fire Department and who got his start in the fire service with his father Clyde and Burris. Clyde Chapman was, along with Burris, one of the founding members of the WTFD when it began operation on Jan. 1, 1974.
As a teen, Chapman remembers tagging along with his father to fire department meetings, and he credits both men with fostering his love for the avocation that has become his career.
“I credit Russell and my dad with my career,” said Chapman, a firefighter for nearly 30 years. “It was through them and hanging out at the station with Russell and my dad that I became interested in the fire service.”
Both Chapman and current WTFD chief Tony Wichman extolled Burris’ emphasis on training. During his career, Burris trained more than 200 fire fighters, including many of the firemen serving Daviess County either with the WFD or in one of many volunteer departments in the area.
“He (Burris) really brought volunteer fire fighting in Daviess County into the 20th century. Before him, it was pretty much they gave you a helmet, a jacket, and keys to the truck and said ‘Here you go,’” said Wichman. “Russell was a stickler for training. He probably trained over 200 firefighters in Daviess County.”
“Russell was a trendsetter as far as fire service in Daviess County was concerned,” said Chapman, who was WFD chief under the previous mayoral administration of Dave Abel. “Most of the guys around here, particularly us older guys, got our original certification through Russell.”
Burris helped found the Alfordsville Fire Department and received more fire training in the military, then settled in Washington after his discharge from the service. When, in 1973, the city of Washington decided to stop providing fire protection for Washington Township effective Jan. 1, 1974, Burris was among a group of men who got together and began the WTFD. Dan Eck was the first chief for the department, which had one fire truck and 12 members in one fire station. Burris succeeded Eck as chief eight years later and served for 12 years before being succeeded by Wichman. The department currently has two stations, seven trucks, and 26 members.
Both Wichman and Chapman recalled Burris’ ability to, as Chapman put it “turn almost anything into fire fighting equipment from scratch.” Both men mentioned an Army deuce-and-a-half truck the department got from Crane, which Burris and other members turned into the department’s first tanker truck, a vehicle which served the department for many years.
Like all members of the volunteer department, Burris held an outside job as a contractor. But Chapman said Burris’ passion lay in fire fighting.
“He may have been a contractor in his work, but he was a firefighter at heart.”
The funeral for Burris will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at New Hope Christian Church. Calling is from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. today at Gill Chapel. Burial will be in Alfordsville Cemetery. Wichman said the Washington Township Department will provide uniformed sentinel duty by the casket during the visitation, and two of the department’s trucks will be in the funeral procession.
