For more than 45 years, Cole has been the sparkplug for the department, doing everything from serving as chief in the late 1970s, as treasurer for more than 20 years and continuing to volunteer his time as a safety officer and company chaplain after his time as an active responder came to an end. His wife, Janice, was involved in the auxiliary, and his late son, Michael, was a lifetime member.
But perhaps his most notable contribution is his care and passion for the Pirsch engine, which the department purchased used in 1959 – more than 30 years after it went on its first call.