91-year-old Norman Abrams, honorary chief of the First Aid Company, had his achievements celebrated at the home of Baldwin Fire Department Chief Karen Bendel following more than 60 years of service in the department.
A whole host of people from the First Aid Company, the Inwood Fire Department and the Baldwin Fire Department itself turned up in force to show their support to Abrams, who has dedicated pretty much his entire life to helping his community.
As such, Abrams is very well known and highly respected within members of the department, and holds the honour of bowing the oldest living member of the First Aid Company.
However, despite the festivities that took place, several members of the Fire Department and the First Aid Company would occasionally hop into an ambulance and assist members of the public, as the trained EMTs are pretty much permanently on call.
Abrams starting his lengthy firefighting career at the Inwood department, where he was a member for six years before he joined the Navy during World War II. In 1950, Abrams left the Navy and married his wife Katherine – a Baldwin native – and subsequently moved there in 1952.
The pair were married for 58 years until Kathrine’s untimely death in 2010, but Abrams still lives in the same Baldwin home that they bought on Jefferson Place.
Abrams joined the Baldwin company back in 1952, ended up being a secretary in 1962, but progressed to second lieutenant in 1969. In 1970, Abrams became first lieutenant, and a year later in 1971, as was made captain according to former department chief Bill Werfelman, who has known Abrams for the majority of his time with the company.
The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York presented Abrams with a proclamation, while the State Office of Fire Prevention and Control awarded him a certificate of appreciation.
