Peter Jorgensen, 68; devoted to news, fire safety, and Civil War history

“March not to another’s beat. Get your own drum,’’ Mr. Jorgensen declared on the 8-foot monument, listing his career highlights, his attendance at eight White House receptions with three presidents, and his self-proclaimed role as defender of “The People’s US Constitutional Rights.’’

Mr. Jorgensen, who owned the Arlington Advocate for almost 20 years and was one of the organizers of the Boston Pops’ Fourth of July extravaganza on the Esplanade, died Sept. 25 at his home. He was 68.

“He had one of the most amazing minds of anyone I’ve ever met,’’ said his friend David Mugar of Mugar Enterprises, who first suggested in 1974 that the Pops could revitalize the annual concert by playing the 1812 Overture.

The two men became friends in the 1960s when they both worked as freelance photographers, chasing fires in Boston.

Mugar, who was best man at Mr. Jorgensen’s wedding in 1965, called him “fascinating, almost a genius in many respects’’ for his ability to become an expert at any subject he chose.

Mr. Jorgensen - who published Fire Apparatus and Emergency Services Magazine, based in Vermont - was a Medford native who grew up in Arlington. He joined the auxiliary fire department when he was 18. His father was a machinist.

He graduated from Arlington High School and earned an associate’s degree in arts in 1960 and a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1962, both from Boston University.

He met his wife Kathryn (Moyer) at Boston University while they were pursuing master’s degrees. He earned his degree in journalism in 1964.

Kathryn, who is known as Kay, said their dates often turned into nights spent chasing fires. They were married 43 years.

In 1969, the couple bought The Arlington Advocate, where Mr. Jorgensen became known for his fiery editorials, which sometimes appeared on the paper’s front page.

In 1973, he demanded a footbridge be built over Route 2 following the death of a young girl who was killed while trying to cross to a bowling alley. His editorial won a Golden Quill from the International Conference of Weekly Newspaper Editors. He also won regional and national press awards for other editorials and photography.

He and his wife eventually owned six newspapers as Century Publications. They ran The Winchester Star, The Belmont Citizen, The Belmont Herald, the Watertown Sun, and The Newton Villager.

They sold Century Publications in 1986 to Harte-Hanks Inc. The couple moved to Vermont in 1993.

Mr. Jorgensen was also an emergency medical technician and always kept first aid equipment at hand. In May 2003, he was attending a Civil War commemoration in Virginia when a man collapsed. Mr. Jorgensen grabbed a defibrillator from his car and resuscitated the man, according to his wife.

“There are some people who don’t want to get involved,’’ she said. “He was opposite.’’

In 1996, he started Fire Apparatus and Emergency Equipment Magazine and built circulation to more than 35,000. He also owned Historical Publications, which publishes the Civil War News (launched in 1988) and The Artilleryman, a quarterly Mr. Jorgensen founded in 1978.

“He was an unusual person - opinionated and knowledgeable beyond belief,’’ said Robert Barraclough, who writes a column for Fire Apparatus.

Barraclough, who lives in Plano, Texas, said he and Mr. Jorgensen clicked because they both “lived the fire service’’ and were devoted to safety.

He recounted Mr. Jorgensen’s fearlessness as he advocated better breathing gear for firefighters and ferreted out the pros and cons of various truck models. Mr. Jorgensen owned Firetec Apparatus Sales from 1996 to 2002.

“He would do his research,’’ Barraclough said. “He was a newspaper man. He’d dig out that story.’’

Mr. Jorgensen served on the board of directors of the Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association from 1998 to 2001.

He collected Civil War artifacts and World War II books and art. He liked John Deere tractors, bamboo fly rods, vintage newspapers, and Mack fire trucks. He liked to collect old coins and attach them to his business cards.

In Vermont, he was an Orange County deputy sheriff. He also was a member of the 34th Battalion Virginia Cavalry of the North-South Skirmish Association and competed in carbine, musket, revolver, cannon, and mortar events.

In the last decade, Mr. Jorgensen became a fan of wearing bow ties and took part in the annual Tunbridge Civic Club variety show. He played a solo on his “wrench-a-phone,’’ a percussion instrument made of wrenches.

On his gravestone, Mr. Jorgensen extols free markets, the right to bear arms, and the importance of acquiring knowledge. He wanted to inspire visitors, his wife said, and also apparently wanted them to chuckle.

“Please plant flowers, especially daisies,’’ the monument says. “(I’ll push them up. I need the exercise.)’’

In addition to his wife, Mr. Jorgensen leaves his brother Robert M. of San Diego, Calif.; and his sister, Sandra of Waterboro, Maine.

Funeral services will be held at noon tomorrow in Tunbridge Church in Vermont. Burial will be at his property.