Jerry Altenau
pjaltenau@cinci.rr.com

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Jerry Altenau has been a member of Box 13 since 1984.  He was Chief for 13 years.

Jerry is a life-long resident of Cincinnati and lives with his wife, Patty in Springfield Township. 

He graduated from St. Xavier High School and Xavier University.  From there he served 6 years with the 123rd Air National Guard (Blue Ash) where he and his unit were activated to Landsut, Germany for 1 year during the Berlin Wall crisis.

Jerry was also a member of the American Red Cross for 17 years during which he became Disaster Chairman of the Executive Committee.  Following this, Jerry joined the Fire Museum Board and became part of the Executive Committee.  In 1999 Jerry retired from his job as a Vice President of Franciscan Health Services.

Currently, Jerry is a member of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) for Springfield Township Fire & Police Departments.  He is also a member of the Ohio Firefighters’ Dependency Fund.

Jerry has found it an honor and a pleasure to serve with and for the Cincinnati Fire Department through his affiliation with Box 13.

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My name is Ted Bayer and I have been with Box 13 since 2005. Once a proud member of the Cincinnati Fire Department I honorably resigned my position January 1, 2005 to pursue a career in sales. My affiliation with such a respected organization allows me to continue my support for the Cincinnati Fire Department. 
My wife Joanne and I live in Madeira and have four children: Elizabeth, Annie, Teddy and Tommy. They all attend St. Gertrudes School. Quite active in sports and their school cuts into my hunting and fishing but I would not trade time with them for the world.
I was a graduate of recruit school in February of 1997 and then assigned Engine 14 under Capt. Becker but was fortunate to travel District 1 and learn from the "greats" Capt Terry Devine and Capt. Willy Long. Promoted to Paramedic 1 transferred me to Rescue 46 where I spent one year. Then my dream came true and I made it to Engine 32 under Capt. Rick Maly. The next six years I would be turned in to ride in charge and be a second man. I found a home in Avondale and will always be fond of the Avondale Raiders. 
I made a hard decision but one well thought out and good for my family to resign. My position representing Zimmer Spine in the Greater Cincinnati Area has its own challenges but nothing compared to being a firefighter. Not a day goes by that I don't think of you guys and not a night that I don't pray for you all. 

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Bill became a member of Box 13 on Oct. 1, 1983 and has enjoyed the many years of friendship and association with this organization.  His interest in the fire service began at a very early age.

     Bill was born and raised in Cincinnati (Clifton) and spent his summers at his family’s lake home in Ryland, Ky.  At the age of sixteen, he joined the Ryland Heights Volunteer Fire Department and eventually became a Captain during his 9 years of service.

     He graduated from Hughes High School and the University of Cincinnati-McMicken College of Arts and Sciences with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. 

     After college, Bill moved to Fort Mitchell, Kentucky and spent 20 years as a volunteer on the Fort Mitchell Fire Department where he retired as a Captain.  He was also a training instructor for 18 years for the Kenton/Boone County Fire School. Additionally, he spent 20 years on the Greater Cincinnati Arson Task Force Committee. Bill is a current member of the Hamilton County Fire Chief’s Association.

    At one time, his interest included antique cars and fire trucks. He owned a 1926 Seagrave Pumper, a 1926 Model T Ford Coupe, a 1936 Ahrens-Fox Fire Truck, and a 1963 Austin-Healey. Bill also enjoyed membership to the Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America and the Miles Greenwood Historical Fire Apparatus Society.

    Bill and his wife, Pam, presently own and operate Webco Fire Equipment, Inc. They have been in business since 1975 and continue to service the fire industry in the Tri-State area.

     His other hobbies include golf, gardening, and model trains.  Bill, along with his wife, also belong to the Greater Cincinnati Garden Railway Society and enjoy participating in their annual garden tour.  Their garden layout includes a small town complete with fire house, pumper, and a German built fire train. They have two married daughters and four grandchildren all living in the area.

Giles A. DeCourcy
Giles48@cinci.rr.com

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jcgoode@fuse.net   

Joseph W. Hagin II
NO EMAIL

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Ed Humphrey joined December 1, 1990 and completed 6 months probation for Box 13 on May 1, 1991.  Ed is a lifelong resident of Miami Township, Clermont County.  Ed grew up and still lives in Miamiville with his wife, Janice.  Ed & Janice have three grown children, Doug, Gail, and Scott and seven grandchildren.  After graduating with a Masters of Business Administration, he went to work for Procter & Gamble.  He retired in 1995 after 28 years of service.  He then was a computer consultant and trainer from 1995 through 1999 and was Executive Director of CART (Clermont Area Rural Transit) and CTC (Clermont Transportation Connection), the Clermont County rural transit bus company, from 1998 through 2000. Ed served as a Miami Township Trustee from 1990 to 2008.  Ed was appointed Clermont County Commissioner on November 10 and was sworn on on November 12, 2008.  Ed started his first full 4 year term as commissioner on November 2, 2009.  Ed is president of the Board of Clermont County Commissioners for 2011.

Ed began his volunteer service in Miami Township, Clermont County, as a volunteer Fire Fighter with Miamiville Fire Department in 1968.  In 1972 he helped form a Life Squad as part of the fire department and served as Chief of the EMS for 12 years.  After some time at various ranks in the fire department he was named Fire Chief in 1987 and served in that capacity through 1989. Ed graduated from paramedic training at University Hospital in 1980 and maintained his license through 2003.  Ed ran as a paramedic for Community Medic Rescue, Loveland Symmes F. D.,  and Miamiville.  Additionally he was a Ohio Fire Safety Inspector, Fire Training Instructor, EMT Instructor, American Heart Association CPR Instructor Trainer and ACLS instructor.  Ed resigned in 1990 when he was elected Miami Township Trustee. 

In addition to Fire and EMS, Ed’s community and volunteer activities include: former youth soccer and baseball coach, National Ski Patrol, former assistant patrol director for Perfect North Slopes, National Ski Patrol, former National Program Director for the Instructor Development, member Milford Amateur Radio Club, member NRA,  member of the Clermont County Agricultural Society, member Red Cross Disaster Services Government Liaison Team, member Milford Lodge 54 F&AM, member Local Emergency Planning Committee for Clermont County, county representative to Ohio Public Works Integrating Committee for District 10, former Chairperson of the Small Government Committee of that body, former President of the Clermont County Township Association,  former Director of Milford Miami Township Chamber of Commerce, served on Governor Taft’s taskforce to review fire and EMS certification, re-certification and training, former Chairperson of the Coalition of Large Urban Township (CLOUT) a subcommittee of the Ohio Township Association, 2001 graduate of Lead Clermont sponsored by Clermont County 20-20.  Ed also served as the chairpersons of the Clermont County Health District Advisory Council. 

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David has been an avid fire buff since he was five years old.  Born and raised in Cincinnati, he grew up in Mt. Lookout and attended Purcell Marian High School in Walnut Hills.  He moved to Clifton in 1996 after graduating from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and joined Box 13 in 2005.  David enjoys documenting current Cincinnati Fire Department history through photographs, especially apparatus and fireground activities.  He also collects historical information about the CFD and is a member of SPAAMFAA, The Miles Greenwood Society and The Cincinnati Fire Museum.  David currently resides in Northside and works at an actuarial consulting firm located near Eden Park.  Other interests include photography, urban geography and local history.  His work can be viewed in The Relay Line, Local 48 calendar and on the web at cfdhistory.com.                                 

Ken Kuhn
kkuhn@amig.com   

Howard W. Kuhnell, Jr.
Secretary of Box 13
howdi@fuse.net

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Howard has been a member of Box 13 since 1984 and has served as Chief, Secretary and Treasurer.  He is a licensed Auctioneer in Ohio and Kentucky and also holds a real estate sales license.  He pursued a liberal arts education at Xavier University and Business Administration at Clermont College.  In addition to his Box 13 activities Howard has a long fire service history dating to his membership with the Milford Volunteer Fire Department in 1967, where he rose to the rank of Chief.  He has served other departments as both a volunteer and professional fire fighter having been Assistant Fire Chief for Mariemont Fire Dept., Ohio.  Additionally he is a certified Ohio Fire Safety Inspector, Fire Training Instructor and a court recognized expert witness as a fire investigator.  Past experiences have included Equifax Services of Atlanta, GA. as a cause and origin investigator and Regional Reporting of Vernon, CT. as a loss control specialist conducting inspections of high risk/high value exposures for insurance purposes.  He is a member of St. Andrew Church, Milford, Ohio, the Greater Milford Area Historical Society, The Miles Greenwood Historical Fire Apparatus Society and the Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus of America.  He is an avid fire memorabilia, toy and antiques collector and has conducted seminars on toy collecting.  He holds an annual consignment fire memorabilia auction.  Howard has been married since 1968 to his wife Diana, they live in Milford.  They have three children scattered about the country, five grandchildren and a shaggy little dog “Button” to welcome him home after chasing fires.    

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Dustin “Dusty” C. Schermbeck has been a member of Box 13 since 2008.  Born in 1942 in Cincinnati, OH, he attended Clifton Elementary, Hughes Jr/Sr High Schools and the University of Cincinnati night school.  He served with the US Army Reserves from 1964 – 1970 in the 5^th Howitzer Battalion of the 28^th Field Artillery.  Dustin spent 41 years working for the City of Cincinnati; the first six years were in the Department of Traffic Engineering, and the remainder of the 35 years was with the Fire Department. It was because of his love for his CFD job, that he joined Box 13 Association. He retired out of Engine Company 32 as a FAO II (Fire Apparatus Operator) in 2001.

Besides Box 13, Dustin’s other area of service is with the Boy Scouts of America.  He is an Asst Scoutmaster of Troop 161, the same troop which he has been active with since joining in 1953, and also earned his Eagle Scout Rank.  During his scouting years he went to Philmont in 1956 and the National Jamboree at Valley Forge in 1957.  Dustin also attended the Canadian Jamboree on Prince Edward Island, in 2001 as an adult advisor for a Boy Scout Troop from Washington, D.C.  In 2009 Dustin was the recipient of the Silver Beaver Award, which is the highest award Dan Beard Scout Council can present to a volunteer.

Dustin is President and Trustee of Timberidge, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization responsible for the care and maintenance of Camp Timberidge, a Youth Camp and Nature Preserve in Milford, OH , where boy and girl scouts, church, family and youth groups may enjoy weekend primitive camping.  The Assistant Scout Masters Association is another support organization for Camp Timberidge.  It was founded in 1946 by then Scoutmaster Nux Boesche, to include the scouters from Troop 161 when they reached the age of 18 yrs old.  In 1999, Dustin assumed leadership upon the passing of Nux Boesche, of this organization which continues to hold its annual luncheon with its membership, the oldest being 86 yrs old.

Dustin is married to Julie and they live on a small farm in Butler County, where they have raised several riding horses.  He also has a son and 2 granddaughters. 

Robert A. Stein, MD
bobstein47@aol.com

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Bill Strite was born and raised in Shippensburg in South central PA.  Before there was any formal Jr. firefighter program he began spending time at the neighborhood volunteer fire department. He earned his Fundamentals of Fire Fighting prior to him becoming a full member of the West End Fire and Rescue, Co 3 in 1972.  1n 1987 he became Life Member.  While an active member he had over 200 hours of County and State firefighting training.

He graduated from Indiana University of PA with a B.S. in Industrial Safety in December 1979.  While in college he was an Emergency Medical Technician with the Indiana County wide Advanced Life Support ambulance service and a part time 911 dispatcher for Indiana County.

In May 1979, Bill was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps.  He entered active duty in January 1980 and spent 13 years on active duty with tours in Korea, Texas, Alabama, Germany, Southwest Asia (Desert Storm), and Georgia. After leaving active duty as a Captain he was promoted to Major and finished his career in the Individual Ready Reserve.

Bill came to Cincinnati in March 1993 as an On Site Property Manager for a property in Walnut Hills.  After three years in that position he left to go to the job he now holds as Senior Property Manager/Regional Manager for the Cincinnati Area for a property management company based out of Columbus, OH. 

Bill and his wife Yong have two children, Joe who is in college at NKU, and Sarah who is in high school at Withrow International High School.

Bill is an avid photographer who shots photographs of anything fire service related.  His photographs have been used by the Cincinnati Fire Department and IAFF Local 48 in various web sites and publications.   He is also a contributor on the CFDHistory.com  and to this website.

Bill is a Life Member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Treasurer and Webmaster, Miles Greenwood Historical Fire Apparatus Society, The Southwest Ohio Chapter of SPAAMFA, member of SPAAMFA and a member of the Cincinnati Fire Museum.