Douglas Matthews’ service saluted by fellow fire fighters

By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
   HILLSBOROUGH — It was in the middle of a night about 40 years ago, when the temperature outside was about 13 degrees, and New York City-born-and-raised firefighter Douglas Matthews, of Onka Drive, was called to battle his first major barn fire, herding more than 200 cows out into the open air.
   ”It was overwhelming to see that first barn fire,” said Mr. Matthews, who is now celebrating 40 years with the Hillsborough Township Volunteer Fire Company No. 2 on Route 206. “The country is very different from the city.”
   Mr. Matthews is one of three firefighters recognized recently for years of service to the company, something that is done every quarter for those marking significant anniversaries. James Paterno, of Meadowbrook Drive, and Richard Bartolucci, of Trafalgar Square, will be honored as well, for seven years of service.
   In addition, according to Dave Raymond, membership committee chairman for the fire company, because Mr. Paterno and Mr. Bartolucci have now completed seven years of active service, they won’t have to continue meeting some activity requirements, including drills, fires and maintenance work, which are required of less experienced firefighters.
   ”Luckily, many of our members continue to actively serve the company after they reach exempt status, some for decades,” Mr. Raymond said.
   For Mr. Matthews, joining the company was a way for him to attend the county fire school while he was serving as an electrician at the Duke Estate. He said the estate had its own in-house fire company, with a firetruck and maintenance men who were consistently on call in case of a fire.
   At the time, however, the county school would only accept those firefighters belonging to a specific township fire company, Mr. Matthews said.
   ”Now, the county trains everyone,” he said. “But then, I joined Fire Company No. 2 so I could take the training.”
   In spending time at the firehouse, Mr. Matthews said, he was convinced to remain with the company.
   ”In getting involved with the guys, I decided I would stay there,” he said. “The camaraderie was not to be believed, and it was a good way to meet people.”
   As a new resident in Hillsborough when he began working at the Duke Estate in 1965, and joining the fire company three years later, Mr. Matthews said it was strange to suddenly be called out to fight barn fires, and deal with other similar situations. Still, he said, he was proud of the way neighbors reacted when there was a fire nearby.
   ”I enjoy how all other farmers come to take care of the family and animals after a fire,” he said. “It is a way of life for them.”
   While county regulations may have been his initial reason for joining the fire company, Mr. Matthews said that, over the years, he has been happy to be part of the team. He said he has noticed more changes in training as state regulations have been enacted for dealing with fires, and additional courses are needed to learn new techniques.
   He added that with increased traffic on local railroads and highways, firefighters are encountering different kinds of fires.
   ”And we have to know how to handle chemicals,” he said. “We don’t know what’s coming through.”
   The best training, however, has come from experience, as Mr. Matthews said he has learned how to pace himself when arriving at a fire to ensure that he is fully prepared for anything.
   ”When I joined, I was in my 20s, and you always have that adrenaline when the alarm goes off,” he said. “But you learn to control that, and that comes with maturity. You don’t run to a fire because you will be so out of breath, you can’t do anything anyway.”
   Mr. Matthews, who served as chief of the fire company from 1980 to 1981, said he has always believed in helping those in need, and was once a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, which holds fundraisers for charities and collects scholarship money for those in need. In addition, he said, he is a supporting member of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars.
   ”The fire company takes up a lot of my free time,” he said. “But I was raised by parents who said you have to give back.”
   Part of that giving back comes from the firefighters themselves, helping each other in times of tragedy and assisting their friends in need at all times.
   ”If someone has a problem, someone helps,” Mr. Matthews said. “We’re there for the families. All they have to do is ask.”
   With the close relationships and his ability to help others through the fire company, this former city boy said he is happy to have worked as a firefighter for so many years, even dealing with the large barn fires that were once more common in Hillsborough.
   ”It feels gratifying, and it’s been a good 40 years,” Mr. Matthews said. “I am looking forward to many more.”