Dozens were in attendance at the Aug, 7 Deptford council meeting to witness the promotions of new township police officers and recognition of the historic Helping Hand Volunteer Fire Company.
Six officers were promoted, and one new officer, Joshua Poe, took the oath of office from Mayor Paul Medany as families and brothers in blue looked on. The officers promoted were Capt. John Storms; lieutenants Derek Mottershead and Michael Pardini; and sergeants Bob Jones, Sean Gambale and Louisa Medany.
“First off I want to thank the mayor, (township manager) Tom Newman and everybody for their support,” said Police Chief Joe Smith. “Things are going very well at the police department. We went through some very difficult times, but with the support that we’re getting from the mayor, council, manager, residents, my officers and the new supervisor, we’ve been doing a fantastic job.”
“Tonight, is a great night for the officers getting sworn in,” Medany noted. “But it’s also a great night for the community as a whole. Public safety is paramount to a great community.”
The volunteer firefighters of Helping Hand Fire Company were cited for a gold Telly Award, recognition of their participation in a short-form documentary about the staff. The film, also called “Helping Hand Fire Company,” traces the history of the mostly African American fire company and its 100th anniversary last year.
Volunteers in the company described in the film what their work means to them, and company president Tim Wagner showed off the Telly at the council meeting.
“We’re really proud of it,” he said. “We were trying to do some more recruiting and get more people involved. We just wanted to get back that connection with the community, and that’s the basis for what they’re working with. It (the Telly Award) was a worldwide thing, and we won.”
“How wonderful a name Helping Hand is for a fire company,” said Councilman Ken Barnshaw, a member of the Blackwood Terrace Fire Company. “There is a strong tradition of volunteerism in Deptford. We’ve had eight fire companies at one time.
“It’s one of the most unique fire departments and one of the most challenged.”
