Madison Fire Chief Met Both Presidents Named 'Bush'

MADISON, NJ - Madison Fire Chief Lou DeRosa has done a lot with his career, including meeting two presidents named Bush, but he will always consider himself the little boy who grew on North Street.

A lifelong resident of Rose City, DeRosa has served as fire chief since 2010 and said he met President George H.W. Bush in 1992 when his reelection campaign brought him to town.

On Nov. 2, 1992 President Bush came to Madison to give a campaign speech on the steps of the Hartley Dodge Borough Hall and the fire department apparatus room was utilized to safely allow the president and his staff to enter the building.

"All fire personnel and apparatus were relocated the DPW garage except for Chief (Douglas) Atchison and myself," DeRosa said. "Chief Atchison greeted the president along with former Governor Tom Kean. I was stationed in our radio room."

DeRosa said his hope was just to see the president as he had to walk by the open door to the radio room to get to his destination. But fate had other plans.

"To my surprise he looked up at me and came into the room, greeted me and shook my hand," DeRosa said. "Class act."

While unable to get a picture with the president himself, DeRosa was able to get a picture of himself with his limo while he was giving his speech.

"Truly an honor to have met him," DeRosa said.

It was nearly nine years later when fate would conspire to once again put DeRosa in the path of President Bush, only this time it was President George W. Bush.

"Fast forward to Sept. 11 2001. I was in the Jacob Javits Center with all the other US&R teams when Bush 43 visited NYC and made that famous 'they’ll all hear us speech' on the pile," DeRosa said. "Bush 43 and many other politicians came to the Javits Center to thank the first responders for our response."

DeRosa said he was lucky enough to not be working on the pile that day and instead was able to assemble to the greet the president.

"Bush 43 was walking down line and shaking hands with us all," DeRosa said. "When he shook my hand I told that I had the honor of meeting his Dad in 1992 when he came to Madison, New Jersey. He paused for a second looked me in the eye and said 'then you met a great man.'"

DeRosa told Patch he was speechless and honored at the same time.

"I remember thinking to myself when we were heading back down stairs to our base that 'Wow, this boy from Madison, New Jersey who grew up on North Street really got to shake two president’s hands and they were father and son," DeRosa said. "I called my Mom right after and told her what just happened. She was so excited and proud."

(Photo courtesy of Lou DeRosa)

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