It is a weekly ritual among hundreds of Islanders. Sunday morning radio check for volunteer firemen is about as much a part of the weekend calendar as church, or a trip to the dump and the grocery store. Starting at around 9:30 every Sunday morning, firemen from around the Island drive to their local fire station, where they wait for the 10 a.m. calls from the county communications center.

Taylor
Taylor Eppers inspects Edgartown's fire engine no. 1. — Mark Lovewell

For many it is a social event combined with volunteer work.

No matter what the weather, the firemen gather, though it is not as big an event as it was years ago. But the radio check is a constant. At the height of the busy summer, in the deep quiet of a February morning, it is the same. The sound of a dispatcher’s voice comes through every radio in every public safety building on the Island.

Susan Schofield, supervisor for the communications center, said the check takes about 20 minutes. Calls are made to Cuttyhunk and Naushon and every town on the Island. And the radio check is not just for fire departments; it includes ambulance services, highway and water departments, the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, harbor masters and more. “It is an opportunity for the firemen to check their pagers,” Mrs. Schofield explained.

It is believed that more than 100 radios tune in during radio check, and that’s not counting the privately owned scanners in kitchens, living rooms and dens all over the Island. Bardwell Electronics in Vineyard Haven, which services public safety radios, has a history of helping with radio check going back to 1947.

Alan
Tisbury fireman Alan Fortes with radios to check. — Mark Lovewell

Radio check does not include police, who check their radios frequently and constantly work with dispatchers.

On most Sunday mornings, there is a loud sound of something like a trombone playing at the Nelson W. Amaral fire station in Oak Bluffs. On a recent morning, the sound was coming from Engine No. 4.

Rico Holley, 46, a volunteer firefighter who works as a painter, was checking the water pump on the truck. It sounded a little like a brass musical instrument with a single note, but in fact the musical sound is air moving through internal pipes in the truck. “We are getting all the air out of the line,” Mr. Holley explained. He has been on the fire department for five years. The Sunday morning routine also involves an equipment check.

At the other end of the fire station, Senior Capt. Shawn Broadley gave instruction to Josh Forend, a new fireman and son of the fire chief. The senior captain’s nine-year-old son Garrett watches.

cribbage
Dick Kelly, Mike Klimek and James Dropick play cribbage in Edgartown as Jake Sylvia looks on. — Mark Lovewell

Radio check Sunday is a multigenerational event. There are plenty of second and even a few third generation firemen; many of them got their first taste of the department during radio check. Many of the names are familiar Island names.

Jake Sylvia, 30, an Edgartown fireman, remembers when his grandfather, fire chief Albert K. Sylvia, used to round up the kids and bring them to the fire station. “I remember sitting in his pickup truck. There were a lot more families involved,” Mr. Sylvia said. “Sunday used to be a family day.”

Tisbury fire chief John Schilling remembers his own early experiences in the fire house on Sunday mornings. “My father was a member of the rescue company and the ladder company,” the chief recalled. “My dad brought me down. And now I see other firefighters bringing their kids. It is nice.”

Chief Schilling said the department received a letter recently from the daughter of a fireman who had died. “We got a note from his daughter. She recalled Sunday radio check, how her father used to bring her down and let her polish the bell. It was a fond memory for her. Radio check spans the generations. It is part of our community,” he said.

firemen
Tisbury's volunteer firefighters gather on Sunday. — Mark Lovewell

The Tisbury fire chief recalled informal breakfasts served on Sunday mornings. Mike Carroll, who recently retired after 47 years in the department, used to serve breakfast. “For a lot of guys, it was a time to get together. There is that type of camaraderie,” the chief said.

With a few minutes to go before radio check, in Edgartown firemen Mike Klimek, James Dropick and Richard Kelly sat at a table in the station and played cribbage.

Outside the Edgartown station, firemen of all ages carried clipboards and pens. Rafael Louback, a firefighter for Engine No. 4, worked through his checklist.

A few steps away, Taylor Eppers, a young fireman for Engine No. 1, did the same thing.

Chilmark, West Tisbury and Aquinnah fire departments also participate. Chilmark executive secretary Tim Carroll said Chilmark fire chief David Norton likes to use the Sunday morning meeting as an opportunity to train or share information about what the fire department is doing. “Whenever he gets questions from the public about the fire department, he tells them to come down to the fire station at radio check. It is also the time when he hands out permits during the burning season,” Mr. Carroll said.

Fire chiefs also report that attendance is not what it was years ago.

Fire chief Forend said: “When I was younger, everybody was there. Today, they are working three jobs. It is more difficult.”

“It is about making the trucks ready for service,” said Tisbury fire chief Schilling. “Trucks are parked out in front of the apron. Passersby check in and talk. We let the kids take a look at the trucks. For the little kids we pass out junior firefighter helmets. People take pictures. It is a wonderful time. Everybody gets something out of it. But in seriousness, it is all about making sure you are mission-ready.”