Memories flowed onOct. 10 as East End Fire Co. hosted an open house.

According to Captain Rob Jones, the event provided an opportunity to thank active and pensioned members.Some at the event spoke of the firehouse's role in community social life and the changing face of firefighting."I used to come here when I was in the service, said Al Barnisky, on hand with his wife, the former Linda Ormsby."They had bands here."Like Barnisky, Ermano Agosti has been a member for decades."I'm a pensioned member. I moved to Tamaqua in 1964, and so I've been here since about 1965," he said.Many commented on changes in personnel over the years."A lot of the ones I trained with are gone now," said member George Geissinger.Fire Chief Mike Angelo has been on hand since 1990. Over the years, he's seen changes in firefighting and greater demands in training, along with some serious fires.Which one was particularly bad?"They're all bad," said Angelo. One that stands out, however, is the fatal blaze that destroyed historic Moyer's Hotel, then called Valesak's, at the corner of West Broad and Railroad streets."We had a lot of fires that year," Angelo said.Longtime member Ronald D. Shock agrees that training has become more involved."Years ago they joined, got trained and fought fires," he said.Today, however, it seems regulations and certifications are more stringent.