By Dan O’Mara, Contributor
Over the last 50 years, if the alarm sounded at the Hopewell Fire House, it’s likely that John Novak responded to the call., Last December, the former fire chief celebrated five decades of volunteer service at the Hopewell Fire Department, matching the late Mahlon “Murph” W. Riley for the department record., “I really enjoy being here,” he said. “I really enjoy helping people – that’s why I do it.”, John said his time with the fire department began in 1966 after being drawn to it by his parents Frank, who was a pump operator and a driver, and Dorthy, who served on the emergency medical unit., John said he was anxious to join the fire department when he turned 16, when his parents gifted him a red jacket with “Hopewell Fire Department” inscribed in gold lettering on the back. It was their way of welcoming him to the station., “I remember my first call. I’ll never forget it,” he recalled., Then a junior firefighter, John was at a pool hall down the street when he heard the sirens blare, prompting him to sprint to the station and hop aboard the engine as it was leaving., John said he got ready on the truck, despite the fact that he was not yet certified to enter a fire. Regardless, he said he remembered assisting with the hoses as part of his first action as a firefighter., “It was a lot of fun, because that’s why you join,” he laughed., Nearly 6,000 calls later, John has become a staple in the Hopewell Fire Department’s responding squad and has climbed the ranks at the station as a result., After 23 years of service, John was named the township’s fire chief in 1989. He remained in that position for three years., Currently as a chief engineer and driver training officer, John remains an active part of nearly every call that comes into the station., “They tease me when I’m away, because they’re always used to me showing up,” he said., Like his father before him, John’s involvement at the station made an impression on his family., His wife, Rose, became an EMT in 1993, and served as the chief of the station’s emergency medical unit from 2008 to 2012., Today, John and Rose’s first born son, John Jr. is a firefighter in Hillsborough Township, while their second born son, Joe, has been serving as the acting fire chief at the Hopewell Fire Department since 2011., “I think the first picture taken of me was in the front seat of a fire truck,” Joe laughed. “Just the whole premise behind helping people and seeing what he [John] did inspired me.”, Joe’s ranking as chief at the station has not only helped keep the Novak name alive within the department, but has also created an interesting father/son dynamic. While Joe is effectively his father’s boss, the mutual respect between the two extinguished any potential power struggle., “There’s a lot of respect here,” Joe said. “Especially with the guys that have as much knowledge and experience that (John) has.”, “(Joe) is one of the top chiefs in Mercer County, and I would put him up against anybody,” John happily admitted., Even though the Novak legacy at Hopewell Fire Department continues on, John does not envision hanging up his fire tunic anytime soon., “I can see myself sticking around for a long time,” he said. “I really like the team we have here, from the youngest guy to the oldest.”, John will be commemorated for his 50 year milestone at the department banquet in February.
