In Memory Of Billy Draper

    Billy Draper is best known to most department members as a fire alarm dispatcher. In that respect he was one of the best. However, before that (mid to late 1970s), he was also an NPFD firefighter. Therefore, he brought a good deal of knowledge and common sense to the job. He was frank and honest (who remembers the "IDGAF" hat?) and a lot of fun to hang around with in Fire Alarm.

   Before Fire Alarm Operations went high-tech, and before Enhanced 911 service was implemented, the job of dispatcher was looked down upon somewhat by certain people in town administration. Once during contract negotiations, Draper was told, in fact, that the job was so simple a monkey could do it. So, he brought in a stuffed monkey and set him up at the console in plain view of whoever walked by the office.

   Draper had some health complications which led to relatively minor hospitalization, and unfortunately he suffered a fatal heart attack while there. He was only 51 when he died in October 1997, and we all miss him very much.

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Created:  24 January 2002

Last modified on:  19 January 2003