They may call themselves F.O.O.L.S., but there’s nothing foolish about a new fraternal club in Columbus.
F.O.O.L.S. is an acronym for the Fraternal Order Of Leatherheads Society — the international fraternal club for firefighters that just established its fifth regional Indiana chapter in Columbus.
And if you think “Leatherhead” doesn’t sound politically correct, it’s actually the nickname for firefighters who wear a leather helmet, which has become a symbol for tradition, bravery, integrity, honor and pride within the fraternity.
Since each chapter has the ability to name themselves, the newly-formed club in Columbus has decided to call their organization “Diesel Town F.O.O.L.S.” — a nod to the local prominence of Cummins Inc.
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The fraternity’s primary focus is the advancement of training and traditions within the fire service, chapter vice-president Jarrad Mullis said.
“One of our goals is to bring fire service training here for guys on-duty and off-duty,” Mullis said. “Due to limited finances, a number of cities and towns can’t always afford to pay for all necessary training. That’s where we come in and try to raise money, so we can have classes to create the best first-responders possible.”
The Diesel Town FOOLS chapter has the capacity to grow quickly. Members may include career, part-time, volunteer, industrial and retired firefighters who serve Brown, Jackson, Jennings, Ripley and Decatur counties, as well as Bartholomew County. The basic qualifications are that members be at least 21 and have one year of firefighting service, he said.
The organization asks each chapter to encourage each member’s passion for the camaraderie and brotherhood forged between firefighters.
That passion is more important now than ever for all first responders, according to the president of a long-established fraternity for police officers in Columbus.
“With the current situation in the world, we need all the camaraderie we can get,” said Alan Trisler, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 89. “Quite often, first responders like police and firefighters only have each other to lean on and to count on.”
Among the ongoing traditions that the Diesel City chapter may support include the way rigs are loaded and how uniforms are worn, and even the way fire stations are cleaned and maintained, Mullis said.
“We try to honor those who have come before us,” he said. “Since we lose traditions when firefighters retire, our job is to try to hold onto the ones developed at each station for as long as we can.”
The national F.O.O.L.S. organization also encourages local chapters to develop opportunities to provide life-saving training for volunteer firefighters and also to focus on firefighters providing help and comfort to children in cancer wards and burn units.
Mullis said he’s hopeful the local F.O.O.L.S. chapter will someday have its own lodge, similar to the FOP lodge on County Road 450S.
A key goal of the firefighter’s fraternity is to perform community service and enrich the community it serves, according to the national chapter. Columbus firefighters has been doing exactly that for more than 90 years with its Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund, a charity that Mullis co-chaired for three years.
In addition to continued support for the Cheer Fund, Mullis says the Diesel Town F.O.O.L.S. will be working with the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department to develop a separate community project that will involve not only the involvement of firefighters, but also their spouses and children.
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Founded in Central Florida in 1996, the "Fraternal Order of Leathernecks Society" (F.O.O.L.S.) focuses largely on the brotherhood and traditions that the fire service is based on. All current or retired firefighters in good standing with at least one year of experience are eligible for membership. Although not even a quarter-century old, the fraternity now has more than 7,000 members. Clubs are located all over the world.
The club strongly believes in providing fire training for firefighters, as well as maintaining pride in their departments, stations, apparatus, and in themselves. Members can include career, part-time, volunteer and industrial firefighters serving Bartholomew, Brown, Jackson, Jennings, Ripley and Decatur counties.
The F.O.O.L.S. are not a political organization. The club will not become involved in union, management, or any other political issue. Instead, the organization is about preserving the traditions and heritage of the fire service, as well as taking care of their fraternal brothers and sisters.
Members are frequently involved with fundraisers, charity events, and helping disadvantaged children receive gifts for Christmas. Much of their support goes to help burn victims and cancer patients.
Source: Fraternal Order of Leathernecks Society
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The website of the Fraternal Order of Leatherheads Society can be found online at foolsinternational.com.
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