JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY
A dedication at the Columbia Borough Fire Hall on Monday evening, May 4th, honored one of the borough’s most dedicated fire service members. Elwood “Tim” Deeg was named Grand Marshal of the upcoming Lancaster County Firefighters Parade scheduled for Saturday, June 6th.
The recognition came as a surprise to Deeg, 83, who spent decades protecting life and property in Columbia Borough by serving in several roles, including Fire Chief and Fire Marshal.
Deeg’s connection to the fire service stretches back to just after his graduation from high school at age 18, when he responded to his first fire, at the old Standard Garment Factory at 625 Locust Street, where CVS now stands. The factory, which had sat idle since the company relocated to New York City in 1956, was heavily damaged in July 1961 when three boys playing with matches set it ablaze. Over the decades, Deeg rose through the ranks to serve as chief of the Vigilant Fire Company.
Deeg also served multiple turns as borough chief, a position that would pass among officers on a rotating basis. He credited John Lutz, a longtime dispatcher, as central to borough emergency communications in those years.
[Provided photo]
Beyond his firefighting duties, Deeg served for several years as Fire Marshal for Zone 7, covering northwest Lancaster County. As both Fire Chief and Fire Marshal of Columbia Borough, Deeg held two demanding roles, commanding emergency response operations while overseeing fire prevention and fire investigations for the borough.
Deeg’s career spans the history of Columbia’s five fire companies, including the current Columbia Borough Fire Department 80 which was formed in 2015 through a merger of the companies. Deeg remains a member at Station 80, known as the “Hambones.”
Along the way, Deeg chalked up several other notable accomplishments:
1. He started the first junior firemen’s program in Columbia, with three young men: nephew Fred Gerfin, (Mr. McGriddles), Pat Brandby, and John Williams.
2. He introduced a Plectron Alerting System to Columbia Borough to update fire dispatch. The Plectron replaced the old system in which firefighters were simply notified by telephone and siren.
3. He worked with Charles Gohn, head of Columbia Water Company at the time, to color-code all fire hydrants according to the size of underground water lines, and also marked all fire hydrant locations on the borough map.
4. He initiated the first larger pre-connected hose firefighting landlines and deck guns to save time.
5. He and a group of firemen from his company created a major disaster plan.
6. Under the direction of Jim Ciccocioppi, training was given to Vigies firemen on use of radiation detection equipment. “It definitely came in handy for the radiation leak at TMI,” Deeg said.
The Firefighters Parade carries extra significance this year, since it coincides with Columbia’s 300th Anniversary celebration.
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