Amador County – With more than 150 years in service, the Ione Fire Department passed the milestone of getting its first paid fire fighters Tuesday, when two volunteers took oaths of service, then were pinned and given collar brass.

Chief Ken Mackey said the Ione Fire Department was formed in 1849 and operated since then as a volunteer brigade, then on Tuesday, May 3, 2011, they “have finally added two paid fire staff.” He said “it shows how far we have all come.”

City Clerk Janice Traverso administered the oath of office for Cody Gold and James Bennett, who were then ceremonially pinned by family members. IFD Fire Captain Troy Gold pinned his son, Cody, and Smokey Bennett, pinned his son, James. Mackey said the elder Bennett, a 12-year assistant chief at the Jackson Volunteer Fire Department “beat a lot of sense into me,” as a member of the JVFD.

Mackey said the younger Bennett and Gold will take the position and titles of “fire apparatus engineer.” The first of Ione’s paid fire staff, after passage in 2008 of Measure M, a sales tax for fire and emergency personnel.

He told city of Ione staff that “without your help, this would have never happened,” and he also thanked the Amador County Board of Supervisors, and other fire brigades and cities in the county for supporting the Measure to finally “see this night happen.”

Mackey said he was also asked to make a statement about the Ione fire Department. He said “these two individuals add to the 35 current volunteer fire fighters” and officers, who continue to operate the department. He said there are 56 total personnel involved in the department, including 21 total made up of youth cadets and administrative staff. He said Gold and Bennett “came from within our own ranks (of volunteers) and were trained and ready to hit the road from the beginning.”

Mayor David Plank said “we’re proud of you.” A standing-room only crowd took pictures and video as Gold and Bennett were pinned, and Mackey affixed each man’s collar brass, a bugle, symbolic of old days when fire fighters called each other with the horns.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.