“Call to Duty” Star Hotel fire documentary premiere at Opera House

Photo taken after the collapse of the Star Hotel December 29, 1981 by Jeremy Youst and donated for use in the FACT TV documentary Call to Duty
Photo taken after the collapse of the Star Hotel Dec. 29, 1981 by Jeremy Youst and donated for use in the FACT TV documentary “Call to Duty.” Photo provided

BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – On Sept. 23, FACT TV in Bellows Falls premiered its excellent new documentary film “Call to Duty” before a large, enthusiastic, and receptive crowd at the Bellows Falls Opera House.

The documentary is a remembrance of the tragic Star Hotel fire of Dec. 29,1981. It was produced to raise awareness of the event and as a fundraiser for a new memorial park dedicated to Firefighters Terry Brown and Dana Fuller who lost their lives trying to rescue hotel residents from the fire.

Volunteers, mostly Bellows Falls Firefighters, working on the new Brown-Fuller Memorial Park on the site of the former Star Hotel in Bellows Falls
Volunteers, mostly Bellows Falls Firefighters, working on the new Brown-Fuller Memorial Park on the site of the former Star Hotel in Bellows Falls. Photo by Bill Lockwood

For years two marble memorial benches have sat on the site of the hotel. Now, for the 40th anniversary of the fire, a new Brown-Fuller Memorial Park is being constructed on the site. It will still have the two benches but will be a much more prominent site that will include sculptures and a balsam fir that will become the town Christmas tree. Still under construction, it should be ready for the anniversary and for the Oct. 5 Fireman’s Parade.

The documentary was produced by FACT TV personalities Mike Smith and Marty Gallagher, Executive Director Alex Stradling, and Mike’s wife, Susan Smith, who did quite a bit of the research.

Current Bellows Falls Fire Chief Shawn McGinnis said, “It was an incredible piece of work they did.”

Deputy Chief Tony James said, “I was there. I thought I knew all about that night, but I learned a lot about everyone else’s story.”

James was 14 at the time, but his father, Steve James, was then a firefighter. Steve James and Brent Lisai brought two elderly women down a ladder to safety from a smoke filled third floor. Both Steve James and Lisai are among the 13 firefighters, including then Chief John Wood, who responded that night and are interviewed by Gallagher in the film.

Mike Smith’s superb editing put the story in logical sections that set the scene of those times before carrying the viewer through the event, its aftermath, and the changes in fire codes and procedures that resulted. It ends with the sad funerals of Brown and Fuller that were attended by firefighters from all around the region.

Mike and Susan Smith moved to Brockway Mills about the time of the fire. Mike says, “For us, it was a real learning experience. We had no preconceived notions about the fire.”

He said he asked Gallagher to help since she was a longtime local and “knew everybody, and her brother Paul was one of the pallbearers.”

Their research also took them through a number of unused rolls of film from the Brattleboro Reformer that had been given to the Brattleboro Historical Society.

Prominent Bellows Falls Historical Society member Larry Clark was one of the first two firefighters on the scene that night. As well as assisting with the research, he tells his story on camera.

Jeremy Youst was then the owner of Andrew’s Inn in the old Windham Hotel that was next door to the fire. He appears frequently as the story progresses, telling his perspective and how he put on pots of coffee for the firefighters and survivors of the fire. Youst also took a number of excellent photos that appear in the film.

The producers of the film stated, “This film is dedicated to Firefighters everywhere and the families that support them. This is their story in their own words. It demonstrated the bravery and commitment ingrained in all firefighters.”

Donations for the new Brown-Fuller Park memorial were collected at the event. Anyone wishing to further donate can send to the Town of Rockingham, Attn: Memorial Park, or find their GoFundMe page.

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