Clayton firefighter Faulkner honored for 60 years of service
CLAYTON — Robert Faulkner describes himself as a “card carrier” only these days as a Clayton Fire Co. No. 1 member.
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Clayton firefighter Faulkner honored for 60 years of service
By CLAYTON — Robert Faulkner describes himself as a “card carrier” only these days as a Clayton Fire Co. No. 1 member.
He’s earned that privilege to back off the front lines, considering his 60-year affiliation with his hometown station.
The fire company honored Mr. Faulkner for his six decades of service at its May meeting, along with 50-year member Robert Hoffecker.
Mr. Faulkner, 76, grew up on Smyrna Avenue and joined the Clayton Fire Co. No. 1 in 1964, when that was a huge step for many his age.
“When I was growing up and when kids were growing up this was the thing to do,” he said. “Everybody couldn’t wait to turn 16 and join the fire company.”
It was a seemingly inevitable rite of passage for Mr. Faulkner, whose father was a past president of the company and mother a charter member of the ladies auxiliary. His brother joined the fire service too.
He said that upon entering the company, an intense kinship came with it. For example, members provided an outpouring of support as he battled throat cancer that’s now completely eradicated thanks to chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
“This is family,” he said .
“You have your family at home and then you have the firehouse family and we do whatever we can for each other.”
Overall, Mr. Faulkner said, firefighting “is just something that gets in your blood and stays there. You can’t get rid of it.”
While Mr. Faulkner said he couldn’t recall many details, some of the most significant fires he fought were at a pickle plant in Kenton, a saloon in Dover, a warehouse in Cheswold and his uncle’s clothing store.
“The changes that I’ve seen in 60 years from coming up to the firehouse when a fire whistle blows and jumping onto the back to fight a fire (have been huge.)” he said.
“Now, everything is so specialized and you’ve really got to be trained.
“When I joined, the fire whistle would blow, you’d come up here to the firehouse, you’d get your boots, your coat, your helmet and your gloves, jump on the back of a fire truck and go.
“But now the training involved just to be able to ride a fire truck is so intense.”
Mr. Faulkner retired in 2023 after 37 years as a truck driver, and also served as a police officer in Washington and Harrington, along with a stint as a Delaware Department of Correction officer.
