By: Sue Kramer
Part of an ongoing series about men and women services volunteers.?
LAMBERTVILLE – When one hears the name Tillett, two things come to mind – plumbing and firefighting – and Lambertville Fire Chief Ronald R. Tillett Jr. symbolizes both.
Mr. Tillett, 43, grew up in Lambertville, living and working within a one-block area his entire life.
Born and raised on Elm Street, Mr. Tillett and his family moved a block away to North Main Street where he lived for several years before marrying and buying a house on Elm Street, where he still resides. His business, Ronald R. Tillett & Sons Plumbing & Heating on George Street, is a mere half block from his house.
Mr. Tillett attended South Hunterdon but didn’t have plumbing in mind for a career when he began attending Hunterdon Central’s vocational education program. He studied and graduated from its architectural design program and set his sights on becoming an architect/draftsman. Still, he wasn’t 100 percent sure.
"I’d been working in the plumbing business for three years before that," Mr. Tillett recalled.
The factor that influenced his final career decision was his love of the outdoors.
"I love the outdoors and enjoy meeting people," he said. "I enjoy doing different things every day."
So given a choice of doing things he loved or spending his days in an office, Mr. Tillett chose the things he loved and joined his father in the family’s plumbing business. Mr. Tillett took over the business eight years ago when his father retired.
The decision to become a firefighter was easier.
"Actually," he said, "when I was a young kid, and I really wanted to go to the firehouse, there was a strict taboo. The firehouse was for firemen, period. It wasn’t a family function. It was men doing a job and providing a service for the community."
Realizing that the fire department was open to adults only, and seeing that even a trip to the firehouse was a privilege restricted to members only whetted his appetite for the fire service. Mr. Tillett became a junior firefighter when he was 15.
"I appreciated the firehouse because I wasn’t allowed to go to the firehouse," he noted. "There was a desire that I wanted to be part of that clique."
After being a junior member of the Union Fire Co. for three years, he followed the example set by his father and became a senior active member of the Columbia when he turned 18.
Today, the chief notes, the department has come a long way. It’s no longer a "men only" organization, and families are more than welcome. On any given night, children can be seen at Lambertville’s four firehouses, working and playing alongside their parents.
It was a special night in the Tillett family when Mr. Tillett joined Columbia because not only did Mr. Tillett join, but his mother, Nancy, did as well, becoming the first female firefighter in Lambertville.
"We joined the same night" 25 years ago next month, Mr. Tillett recalled.
Chief Tillett’s father, Ronald R. Tillett Sr., is a past chief of the Lambertville Fire Department, a founding member of the Board of Fire Commissioners, and the current president of the board.
Brother Jeff is a former Lambertville firefighter who moved to Palmyra, Pa., where he is an active firefighter and former fire chief. Orville, the next brother in line, also has been a longtime member of Columbia. Chief Tillett has two other brothers, firefighting twins, Dennis and Scott. Dennis is the deputy chief of the Hunterdon County HAZMAT Team.
The Tillett tradition of volunteer firefighting is being carried on by a third generation – Mr. Tillett’s two children, Cindy, 20, and Ron III, 17, are both Columbia firefighters. Cindy is a senior active firefighter, and Ron is a junior firefighter. Not to be left out, Mr. Tillett’s wife, Chris, is president of Ladies Auxiliary. The couple has been married 23 years.
"As you can see, it’s a family thing," Mr. Tillett laughed. "And not just the Tilletts; we have other families in the department."
Some of the other volunteer firefighting and rescue families of Lambertville include the Skillmans, Marriotts, Eckards, Flemings, Barlows, Kramers, Siwys, Myerses, Wintermutes and Slacks.
In addition to his 25 years of experience, Chief Tillett has taken many firefighting courses. He’s taken so many, he quipped, that he "had to show a photo ID to get into my house!"
His wife added, "This is true. He used to joke about that all the time. I rarely, rarely saw him. But that goes with the volunteerism. Today, you have to have so many courses, and I think that’s why not too many people volunteer. It just scares them away. You have to put so many hours in to learn to do your trade."
Mr. Tillett was a deputy chief for nine years. He is starting his second year as chief.
"I’ve got the greatest bunch of guys that work in the Lambertville Fire Department," he said. "I’d love to have more, and it’s not taking anything away from the guys I have, but I don’t think the people of Lambertville really understand what’s out there and available to them. And I’m not talking about the lines of fire protection they get from the guys right now. I don’t think people realize what they’re missing by not being part of it."
He continued: "And not just the fire department. I’m active with the Rescue Squad. There’s a lot of organizations in town if you don’t want to be a firefighter. But if you don’t want to be a firefighter, you might want to reconsider. Can you plug in an extension cord? Can you carry a 15-pound cylinder? Can you pull a tarp? Can you point someone in the right direction, and can you hold a hand light? These are simple things."
He added, "Everybody thinks a fireman is someone who runs through the front door with a hose in his hand, and firemen are a lot more than that. Firemen are the people who stand on the street corner and tell you where to go and how to get around a bad situation. Firefighters plug in the extension cord to get light so the other firefighters inside can see what’s going on. It takes a lot of people to do this job."
As with most volunteers, Chief Tillett sometimes has trouble juggling all his activities. His days begin at 6:45 a.m. when he goes to work, lines up the day’s jobs and heads out on the road. He gets home between 5 and 5:30, but his day isn’t over.
"Depending on whether it’s the first or second Monday of the month or the first or second Tuesday of the month, determines which meeting I go to," he said. "I have the first, second and third Fridays of the month dedicated to the fire company. And then, on top of that, I have estimates to write at night."
As if that wasn’t enough, Mr. Tillett also volunteers a lot of his time to the Rescue Squad.
"I drive every Wednesday from midnight to 6 a.m. and Sunday night from midnight to 6 a.m.," he said. "And whatever else they need done I help out with. I’m in the middle of doing the mezzanine in the back and putting the air conditioning in for them."
Mrs. Tillett said of his husband’s volunteering, "He loves it with a passion. He was married to that before he was married to me. I came second."
But it’s not all work and volunteering for Mr. Tillett.
"About six months ago," he said, "I decided it was time to devote a little more time to my family and my wife. My wife and I for 30 years have been talking about getting a Harley Davidson so we went out and bought a Harley Davidson, and every Sunday we ride!"
And finally, Mr. Tillett said, "If I get any time at all, if there’s not anything going on at all, if I’m not out or the weather’s bad, I can find total fascination sitting in front of the television for a little bit. It doesn’t take much to amuse me."
