Faces of the Valley: Tarentum's Bob Sims, 95, earns title as longest-serving firefighter in the borough

Friends of Bob Sims call him “the War Horse.”

To his family, the 95-year-old born and raised in Tarentum is “Pappy.”

Last week, Sims earned a new title — the longest-serving firefighter in the Tarentum Volunteer Fire Department, which consists of Highland Hose, Eureka Fire-Rescue and Summit Hose.

Sims has served nearly 77 years at Highland Hose on the corner of East Eighth Avenue.

“I joined on Oct. 28, 1948,” Sims said. “There was another guy who served 76 years, and I never thought I’d pass him up.”

Longtime firefighters celebrated Sims’ achievement, saying he embodies the work ethic of a different generation.

“He was born and bred at the firehall,” said friend Jim Huey, 72, a fire volunteer for 54 years.

“He was one of my sponsors when I joined. And, though he was already retired from firefighting, he spent 25 years as the secretary and was involved with everything. He always talked to the young guys and was there for us, every step of the way.”

Fire company President Robert Stoebener said Sims schooled new members on what it means to serve the community.

“I remember when I first joined, he came and shook my hand and told me the history of the company,” Stoebener said. “He is exactly what people should look to as a volunteer. He’s dedicated himself his whole life.”

Highland Hose was founded in 1894 as the First Ward Fire Company. It was officially renamed in 1913.

The company boasts the oldest running fire engine in the Alle-Kiski Valley, a 1931 Ahrens Fox.

Sims said he followed his two older brothers into fire service. His younger two brothers followed his lead.

In all, the five Sims boys each served more than 50 years with Highland Hose and became synonymous with firefighting in the borough.

“We lived right up the street on East Eighth,” Sims said. “When the fire whistle blew in the middle of the night, you’d see all of us jumping off the front porch and running down to the station.”

He recalled a few catastrophic blazes during his time, one being the fire at the Harmony Short Line Bus Garage on Boyd Street in Tarentum. Sims said the fire lit the sky up orange and onlookers from up and down the river could see it.

“I remember heading down under the bridge and seeing neighbors trying to push a bus out of the building, but that didn’t work,” he said.

People lined the Tarentum Bridge sidewalk to watch volunteers knock down the flames.

Another one that stands out to Sims is the East Deer Post Office fire in the late 1960s. He said it was one of the biggest fires in township history.

Through the years, there were plenty of good times, too. Participating in parades and Battle of the Barrel leagues are memories that make Sims smile to this day.

“We didn’t win any county championships but we got second in the western section a couple times,” he said. “That was a lot of fun.”

In addition to serving as fire company secretary, Sims served as president in the 1960s and helped usher in the fire station expansion in 1964.

“I was the best president,” Sims said, laughing. “Honestly though, I wouldn’t do anything different in my career. The comradeship over these 77 years has been wonderful.”

Sims said he has made lifelong friends through the fire department, many of whom would meet on Mondays at the station long after their days of active firefighting were done.

“Us old-timers would go every week,” he said. “We were too old to fight fires but we could b.s.!”

Stoebener said witnessing that camaraderie while coming up through the ranks was inspiring.

Sims’ granddaughter, Jamie Bastine, joked that if she ever needed to find Sims on a Monday, she knew where to look.

Bastine said her family admires “Pappy” for all that he’s given to the borough but also for all he’s taught them.

“I love to sit and listen to him talk about the olden days,” she said. “It’s really wonderful to learn history through his experiences.”

To younger residents, Sims offers the advice to listen and learn.

“Talk to the officers, hear what they have to say,” he said. “And above all else, get involved. I had to wait three months to get in because our charter was full with 80 members. It was worth the wait.”