THIBODAUX, La (WGNO) –A Renaissance man is defined as being a person with many talents and areas of knowledge. John Weimer is Chief Justice for the Louisiana Supreme Court. His office is in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans; his heart originates in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Justice Weimer is a volunteer fireman and part of the rich heritage of the Thibodaux volunteer fire department.
“The history is remarkable. The Thibodaux volunteer fire department started as soon as Thibodaux was a community. Over the decades there were bucket brigades and water towers were built, as mules and horses gave way to horsepower. When I was 18, all the alarm systems were, were sirens on water towers on water towers on water towers and church steeples. There weren’t that many tall buildings in Thibodaux. I joined when I was 18. My father had been a fireman and served for a number of years and was fairly active at that time,” explains Weimer.
Justice Weimer is a member of the oldest Thibodaux fire company in the city of Thibodaux, Fire Company number one, which was established in 1858. Since the year of the volunteer fire department’s inception, eight volunteer fire companies and around 400 volunteer firemen comprise the department.
Each fireman has stories to tell and Justice Weimer recalls some of his own experiences, saying, “one time I was at a wedding reception when the alarm sounded. I ran to the firetruck in the other room. One of my other firemen beat me to the other truck. He lived next door to the fire station and he still got there before me.”
Justice Weimer also remembers times when fashion trends could be a potential problem in fighting fires, saying, “there’s a picture that depicts me and a friend of mine named Brian. In retrospect, I realize how foolish I was because I was wearing a pair of double-knit polyester pants with the big bells. If I had gotten too close to that fire, those pants would have probably melted, and I would have still been wearing those pants today.”
Related Story: The History of the Thibodaux Firemen’s Parade
To serve as a judge in the U.S. Court System is to interpret the facts, to paint a clearer picture. In addition to his position as Chief Justice, Weimer is a painter and donates signed prints of his paintings to be auctioned off, for the proceeds to feed into the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department.
“I think the fire department has infused the rest of the community with this wonderful spirit of volunteerism. It is generation after generation. It’s an incredible family legacy. It’s a legacy of service that, myself, my wife and daughters are proud to be part of,” says Justice John Weimer.
The Thibodaux Firemen’s Fair kicks off Thursday, May 4. See our full fair guide here.
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