Introductions to life and death. Having a dad who was a volunteer fireman, part-time ambulance driver and a deputy Game Warden in addition to his full time job as a guard at the Riverside Merck plant, allowed me to be aware - sometimes even a part of - a wide variety of some of the more exiting aspects of life in Danville during the 50s, 60s and early 70s. I remember how as kids we would stop what we were doing to listen closely to the sound of the town fire alarm as it roared out the series of short blasts, the pattern of which would let you know in which of the wards the fire was located. I knew that Dad, if he was not working, would be jumping into our family car and heading for the Washie’s Fire Company to roll out one of the red pump and ladder trucks that would rush to the scene. As Danville is not that big, I would sometimes hop on my bicycle, pedal to where the fire was and watch him at work unrolling the long hoses, connecting up to the hydrant and watering down the fl