PROFILE: Bill Sallette, 63 years of age. Better known as “Saltine”. Bill got
This name when he was a member of the Morocco Temple Shriners “Funsters”.
 

Bill was born in Jacksonville and raised at 27th and Walnut and graduated from Andrew Jackson in 1965. Bill has one brother , David , who is on Ladder 10 and one sister Lynn married to Grady Sims, retired.

Bill became a firefighter in 1971 and was assigned to Station 15 and his first officer was Lieutenant Joe Blake.

Bill was then assigned to Ladder 18. During this time Bill was transferred for the day to Station 35 which was a
Volunteer Station. Bill worked with John Keane and was told that most firemen did not want to work at a Volunteer Station. After the day at 35 with John Keane, Chief Parrish called and asked Bill if he wanted to go to Volunteer Station 24, as an Engineer. Bill said yes and spent the next 10 years there.

Bill was then transferred to Station 40, another volunteer Station, for 10 years.

Battalion Chief Johnny Hires called Bill with an offer of a new position. There was to be a new ComVan Engineer at Station 1. Bill accepted the position and that was where he finished career, retiring with 34 years of service.

A memory that Bill has of the fire department that he likes to relate is that during his early career the kids in the neighborhood of Station 18 would tie a brick with a string and the weight would cause the alarm box to force the box to continuously go off in the station until the box wound down.

Another memory is the all-service gas mask and how you had to pull the duct tape off the bottom of the canister in order to breathe. Bill states that it was not unusual for a rookie to forget to pull the tape off.

After Bill retired in 2005 he moved to Keystone Heights on the same property as his sister and brother-in-law. It is known as the compound on Lake Geneva.

Bill has a building on his property known as the “juke”. In this building is Bill collections of “stuff”. Bill says that the only difference between men and boys are the price of their toys and he is truly a testament to this.

Bill’s collection includes, fire department, tools, neon signs and metal signs and other collections. One of his biggest collections is his Florida Gator “stuff”.

Bill spends his time now playing golf, b-b-q cook-offs and traveling with his wife, Carol, in their motorhome.

Bill has a son that he is extremely proud of. His son William Sallette, IV is presently serving in the US Army and has
nine years service. After returning from 4 tours of service, Afghanistan, Iraq, Korea and South Africa he was sent to Fort Sills, Oklahoma. William is now serving in the Public Affairs Office for the U S Army. William was working on an article about a young man that had always wanted to be in the Army but was dying of cancer. CNN news picked up the article and William is now well known within the Public Affairs Office.
 

As a teenager of 14, Bill wanted a motor scooter. His father would never allow him to have one. Now at the ripe old age of 63 Bill is the proud own of a 1964 Cushman Eagle. This is his latest addition to his collection of “stuff”. Bill is actively looking for more to buy.

The estimated price tag for Bill’s collection of “stuff” is well over $300,000.00. Now that is some stuff.

Bill’s philosophy is “You don’t have long a time to live, so you better live life to the fullest”.
 

Bill in his Florida Gator t-shirt with his hand on his fire department helmet standing behind the bar of the “juke”. As you can see there is quite a collection.
	Bill sitting on his newest “baby”. He is a proud Papa.
Bill showing off his motor scooter while holding yet another metal sign to ad to his collection.
	Bill is very fastidious about keeping his juke and collection in perfect shape.