State Fire Marshal honors Smith, Emsweller

Feb. 27--CLARKSBURG -- Two volunteer firefighters with more than a century of combined experience were honored by the State Fire Marshal Wednesday evening.

Charles Eugene Emsweller and William A. Smith were presented prestigious Meritorious Awards by State Fire Marshal Jim Greeson and Assistant State Fire Marshal Bob Johnson at a Decatur County Fire Association meeting at the Clarksburg Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD).

CVFD Chief Brad Speer congratulated both and said Emsweller has almost 52 years of experience with the department while Smith has served for nearly 59 years.

Both have had long, distinguished fire service careers.

Smith was recruited by the Pike Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) in Indianapolis in 1956 after offering assistance with a field fire. An army veteran who was wounded in World War II, Smith stayed with the CVFD for the next 23 years before moving to Clarksburg. While with the PVFD, Smith served as chief and as a captain, titles he held at Clarksburg as well. He's now a captain on dispatch.

The elder of the two honorees holds a great deal of responsibility in bringing the current Clarksburg Fire Department to fruition and hosts a morning coffee club at the station.

"Building the new station in Clarksburg ... that was quite an achievement," the award winner said.

"Bill loves life and is known for telling jokes and for not knowing a stranger," a press release states. Smith is also an active member of several local organizations.

Smith spoke with the Daily News by phone Thursday and said he was happily surprised by his latest honor.

"I wasn't expecting it," he said with a chuckle.

Valiant war service saw Bill Smith earn a Purple Heart as well as a Bronze Star. Outside of his fire service, Smith is a beloved member of the Clarksburg community and he possesses a very large collection of World War II memorabilia.

His home for many years, Clarksburg means just as much to Bill Smith as he means to that small community.

The recipient of numerous awards, Smith's newest honor is still very special to him.

"It came from the State Fire Marshal's Office, so this one's really outstanding," he said.

Known to some as Gene but Charlie to most, Emsweller's distinguished career began in 1963 when he joined the CVFD after meeting Chief Marion "Tink" Vail that September. He served as secretary from 1967 to 1970 then became assistant chief alongside Clyde Wolfe. Emsweller served as chief from 1971 to 1981, and during that time the department installed radios in fire trucks, thereby drastically enhancing communication capabilities.

Emsweller's sons followed in their father's footsteps with Rick Emsweller spending 37 years as a firefighter in Greensburg and Clarksburg, and Chuck Emsweller serving with the same departments as his brother from 1975 to 1997.

Emseller's eldest grandson became a firefighter as well. Chad Emsweller has been with the Evansville Fire Department for a decade. Charlie Emsweller has 12 other grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He enjoys collecting antique hit-and-miss engines and antique cars, according to biographical information provided to the Daily News.

Emswller, who worked for Delta Faucet for 35 years, said the award was a pleasant surprise.

"I felt good about it," the award recipient said Thursday by phone. Emsweller is still very active in the department, helping fill tankers and doing radio work. He's also a fixture at meetings, and it's clear half a century of volunteer work has done little to dim his enthusiasm for the Clarksburg Fire Department.

"I try to get down there and do what I can," the award recipient noted.

Emsweller said he's seen the department grow in size, increasing from a mere three trucks in his early days to the seven in use today.

He recounted a harrowing tale on a bitterly cold, snow-covered winter night in the 1970s during which the tanker in which he was riding went off the roadway and wound up in a ditch while responding to a report of a house fire. Emsweller never made it to that fire and he had to spend the evening in the cold. The tanker wasn't pulled from the ditch until the following day.

He recalled his earlier days with the department saying they were "kind of exciting." Charlie Emsweller remembered many dinners interrupted by emergency tones -- much to the chagrin of his wife Wanda.

"It was really interesting," Emsweller said of his past experiences. "It takes a lot of dedication." He expressed pride in how the department has expanded over the years.

"It's really grown in the last 20 years and I think everybody down there is pretty well proud of it," Emsweller said.

Charlie Emsweller is also a Korean War veteran who earned seven medals during his time in the army.

Chief Speer, through a Facebook post, encouraged community members to thank the two honorees for their fire service.

"These two are great members of our department who have made a big difference in our community," a post on the CVFD Facebook page read Thursday.

Contact: Brent Brown 812-663-3111 x7056; brent.brown@greensburgdailynews.com

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