Eli Whitney firefighter retiring after 60 years set to be honored with parade

When it comes to his career, McBane said that he has held every position in the department aside from assistant chief or chief. Some other positions that he has held over the years include firefighter, emergency vehicle driver, lieutenant, captain, junior firefighter supervisor, and fire prevention program coordinator, according to a press release from the EWVFD.  

At the time of his retirement, he held the dual role of safety officer and chaplain for the department. McBane stated that he didn't consider his service with the department to be special, but says he was just aiming to help people while serving.

"It's hard now to get people to volunteer for the fire department," he said, regarding the need in the community for volunteer firefighters. According to McBane, during the first 25-30 years of the EWVFD's existence, everything was volunteer, with no paid personnel. The department has three full-time paid staff now, but the majority of the firefighters are still volunteer. 

When the department was first established, personnel had to find creative ways to raise money for resources. Some of the initiatives that McBane named included tractor pulls, beauty contests, weddings, chicken and fish suppers, etc.

Some could say the hard work has paid off for the next generation, as Jesse Knepp, McBane's grandson is also a firefighter and driver for the department.

 When asked about working alongside McBane, Knepp said "it's definitely been a good experience." He added that his grandfather was able to explain a lot of things about the department, especially why and how it operates the way that it does. 

According to Knepp, McBane contributed a lot to the department by "basically getting the fire department organized." 

Even when Knepp was a young child, he would sometimes ride along with his grandfather when responding to calls. This inspired Knepp to join the EWVFD in high school, and he's been a member of the department ever since.

While both working in the department for many years, Knepp and McBane were able to continue to ride together in response to calls. Knepp stated that being able to run calls with his grandfather was one of his most notable experiences during the time that they worked together.

The rest of the department and the community can share their favorite moments with McBane during the parade at 3 p.m. at the Eli Whitney Recreation Center, the original location for the EWVFD. The center is located at 4110 E Greensboro Chapel Hill Rd.

The parade will march along Greensboro Chapel Hill Road and will end at the Eli Whitney Community Center, which was the location of the Eli Whitney Volunteer Fire Department from 1964 up until 2008.

A ceremony will take place after the parade at the community center, which will commence around 4 p.m. Members of the community who wish to attend are encouraged to begin forming a line along the parade route around 2:30 p.m.

The parade will feature EWVFD fire trucks, as well as vehicles from other Alamance County communities and other surrounding counties that have helped the department in the past. McBane will be the grand marshal of the parade, and will ride in one of the emergency vehicles. 

This article originally appeared on Times-News: Eli Whitney firefighter retiring after 60 years set to be honored with parade