The Grass Valley Fire Department #3 on Race Street had to restring the bell that stands above the firehouse before the firefighters began to toll the bell at in honor of firefighter and Past Chief Delroy Bonivert who passed away yesterday morning.  Bonivert was Chief of the Grass Valley Fire Department in 1954. Grass Valley career firefighter Charlie Jacobs says the old bell has been rung to celebrate births, remind teens of curfew and to mark the passing of one of their own.

“If a firefighter had a new baby, we always rang the bell for the new family and when a firefighter dies, we always ring the bell for as many years as the firefighter lived.”

The bell tolled 87 times, starting shortly after 3:00 p.m. yesterday, once for each year of past Chief Delroy Bonivert’s life, the chief passed away yesterday morning at the age of 87.