Deerfield man leaves estate to fire department

Members of the board of directors and volunteers of the Deerfield, Mo., Fire Department stand in front of the well maintained pumper they purchased from a department in Scranton, N. Y. The purchase was made possible in part by the bequest of the estate of Lynn Rosamond, a Deerfield resident, to the fire department. Left to right are Capt. Jerry Morris, Fire Chief Bill Smith, Jeff Smith, Terry Forgey and board chairman Kris Sisseck.

According to the chairman of the board of directors, Kris Sisseck, the Deerfield Fire Department was "desperately in need of a truck" when a "friend" of the department and Deerfield resident, Lynn Rosamond, died in August of 2010. Neither Sisseck nor the board knew at the time that Rosamond had left his entire estate to the fire department.

Rosamond had lived in Deerfield for 20 years and had "was always interested" and "gave donations" to the department said Sisseck, but he had "never participated." The bequest of his estate to the department came as a surprise and "relieved a lot of financial pressure," said Sisseck. Rosamond left the department everything with instructions that it be liquidated at public auction and the proceeds be used at the department's discretion.

Even though it would be more than a year after Rosamond's death before the case was out of probate and the department actually received the proceeds, they went ahead with plans to purchase a fire truck. "We painstakingly searched" for a truck that would fit the department's needs and budget, said Sisseck. They looked on the Internet, in Wichita and all around and finally found what they were looking for.

They had to go all the way to Scranton, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo, to get the truck, but it was worth the trip. What they got was a 750-gallon pumper with low hours on the pump and good maintenance records. The 20 year-old truck had received plenty of tender, loving care and came equipped with "everything that goes on a fire truck," said Fire Chief Bill Smith. "It's kind of our pride and joy right now," Smith said.

The acquisition of the diesel truck with a 10- man cab means the department is now all diesel. The vehicle came with all of the hoses and fittings needed to go right to work. Some of the things on the truck will not work with the local water systems, but department personnel say they are in the process of talking with other interested departments that can use those items.

About the only things not on the truck were personal gear.

The department's old pumper was 40 years old, so the newer truck is a big improvement that will help the department maintain their ISO rating, which is important for insurance purposes. Along with the truck, some of the money is being used to improve the approach and parking area of the department's facility.

Sisseck said his department has always been frugal and had to make do with little.

He said, We're proud of our department." He also said the entire community of Deer-field has always been very supportive of the small closely- knit unit with a 13-man roster. The Deerfield Fire Department is a "free standing organization" that is supported almost entirely by subscriptions, he said.

The department serves about 270 subscribers scattered over a 115- square-mile area. They also provide mutual support to every other department in the county when needed.