User:Saveslives/Gordon B. Smith

Gordon B. Smith born on October 9, 1879 in Connecticut appointed as the Town of Old Saybrook's First Fire Chief on August 26, 1924. Chief Smith and Firefighters Fred J. LaMay, Fitzhugh Dibble, and William Wolfe organized the Old Saybrook Fire Company No 1 and invited twenty nine citizens to report and join the Fire Department at it's first meeting September 10, 1924.

Chief Smith served in the position until November 14, 1929. Choosen as the Town's Acting Postmaster on September 4, 1928 and then Postmaster from December 11, 1928 to April 27, 1934. In 1935 Gordon Smith was elected as First Selectman of the Town of Old Saybrook. His tenure in office included the 1938 Hurricane which devistated the Connecticut Coastal Community and World War II. He died in office of natural causes on April 5, 1944.

On May 23, 2010 Chief Gordon B. Smith was honored at a ceremoney at Saybrook Point in Old Saybrook. The event was the Christening of the 35 foot Fire Boat Gordon B. Smith named in honor of his service as the First Fire Chief. Chief Smith's Daughter Mary "Betty" VanZandt of East Dover Vermont traveled to Connecticut to officially Christen the boat with a Champagne Bottle.

Article about the Christening of the Fire Boat Gordon B. Smith