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The New York Edition PUBLISHING SINCE 1993
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JANUARY, 2026
JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER/ SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY CHATHAM, NY — On Novem ber 21,2025, at a p p ro x im a te ly 3:17 p.m., the C o lu m b ia C ounty Em ergency C o m m u n ica tio n s C enter re ce iv e d m u ltip le c a lls re p o rtin g a w o rking stru ctu re fire in the T ri-V illa ge F ire D is tric t at 3869 Route 66. T he firs t- a rriv in g c h ie f on scene n o tifie d the d is p a tc h e r of heavy fire in th e rear of th e structure, e x te n d in g up th e back of the b u ild in g and in to th e home. - See full story on pane 10
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January, 2026
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JEFFREY ARN0LD/@FIREPH0T025 JEFFREY RELSCHWINDER/SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY One of the ch ie fs from the Latham FD b rin g s out the rescued cat from the house.
Cat Rescued from Colonie Home w ith Heavy Fire on Arrival COLONIE, NY — On N o vember 11, 2025, at 7:11 a.m., the Boght Fire Company, Latham Fire Department, C olonie Village Fire Company (FAST Team), Verdoy Fire Department, Halfmoon-Waterford Fire Department, and Colonie Emergency Medical Serv ices were dispatched to 543 C o lumbia Street Extension for a reported structure fire. The caller reported that the house was on fire. The first arriving ch ief on scene notified the dispatcher that there was heavy fire showing from the rear o f the structure and im me diately declared a Signal 30 for a working structure fire. The first arriving engine took the driveway and laid in to the scene. Firefighters deployed a 2-inch handline through a side door into the house. Comm and confirm ed
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that everyone was out o f the struc ture and accounted for, with the exception o f a cat. Quickly fo l low in g the first-due engine, the truck company arrived and estab lished a water supply for the scene. Firefighters conducted an aggressive interior attack, knock ing down heavy fire conditions in side the structure and extinguishing the remaining fire. Comm and placed the M aple w ood Fire Department on standby in their station. While firefighters were conducting a secondary search o f the home, they located the fam ily’ s cat, rescued it, and brought it out to safety. Firefighters on scene began pulling apart the siding on the sid$
o f the building due to smoke still com ing from the area. Crews uti lized a handline to extinguish hotspots behind the siding. Over haul operations were conducted in the area o f the w ood stove and on the exterior o f the home. Firefight ers inside the structure continued overhaul operations for an ex tended period to ensure there was no hidden fire within the walls. No injuries were reported. The Town o f C olonie Fire Services is investigating the cause o f the fire. Due to the rapid response o f the first-due engine company and the aggressive tactics em ployed by firefighters on scene, the incident was brought under control before the fire could spread throughout the home. All units returned to service later in the morning. - J E F F R E Y B ELSC H W IN D ER
JEFFREY ARN0LD/@FIREPH0T025
T railer F ire in Conesus CONESUS, NY - On Wednesday, December 10th, at 3:45 p.m., fire fig hte rs from Conesus, Hem lock and Livo nia responded to a structure fire at 5647 Wormuth Lane. Upon arrival, u nits found a w orking fire in a single-w ide m ob ile home. The blaze was brought under control in about 45 minutes; there were no injuries reported. O fficials from Livingston County Emergency Management and the Living sto n County Sheriff's Office were in vestig atin g the cause.
JEFFREY RELSCHWINDER/SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY F ire fighte rs from Halfmoon-Waterford h ittin g hot spots on the o u tside of the home.
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
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January, 2026
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CORPORATE INFORMATION 1st Responder N ew s (ISSN 1525-1683) - N ew York edition - Vol. 27 No. 1 - is published monthly, 12 times a year for $48 per year by Belsito Communications, Inc., 1 Ardmore Street, N ew Windsor, NY 12553. Pe riodicals Postage Paid at Newburgh, NY and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to 1st Responder News, 1 Ardmore Street, N ew Windsor, NY 12553. No financial re sponsibility is assumed by , this newspaper to publish a display, classified, or legal ad or for typographical errors except o f reprinting that part o f the ad which was omit ted or in error. O m issions or errors must be brought to the attention o f the newspaper during the same month o f publication. Printed in Canada.
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BUDGETING THE NECESSITIES EMS ISSUE
CHELLE CORDERO Imagine that y ou are heading to the store with your grocery list. You have only a small amount o f m oney to buy m ore item s than you know y ou can afford. What is m ore important, m ilk for your children’ s breakfast cereal, or that delicious package o f brand name co ok ies y ou lov e to eat? Choices... The folks that run the em ergency service ambulance corps, the ones that respond to 911 calls and private transportonly units, must make budgetary decision s every day. There is no one set budget for any agency. Funding varies with each municipality. It does not matter if it is a paid service, rais ing their ow n money, paying their healthcare providers, and running a (hopefully profitable) b u si ness.. . or a volunteer service that is dependent on their tow n ’ s budget contributions and yearly donation drives. D epen din g on transport and type o f care (BLS or ALS), and if the patient carries insurance, in com e can include what the agency is paid from each transport from the patient and their insurance. The managers that run our various EM S agencies throughout N ew York need to make im por tant ch oices every day to keep the service running and m eet the needs o f their community. C h oices must be made whether to replace necessary equipment like stretchers or stair chairs, or if there is enough m oney to replace gloves, nasal cannulas or facemasks, and other necessary items to treat patients. If m oney is tight, they may have to forget that huge holiday party that their em p loy ees, or volunteers, look forward
to every year. Often, especially in volunteer agencies, som e or all the uniform expenses may fall to the volunteer him/herself. A ll Em ergency Squads need to cover the cost and maintenance o f the vehicles/rigs, purchase o f necessary equipment, insurance on the rigs, the building, and the providers in case o f injury, and salaries w here applicable... and not all paid m em bers are entitled to benefits like 40IK and health insurance. While N ew York State does reimburse initial EM S train ing costs for both B L S and ALS courses, but there are conditions that must be met such as course sponsors, paperw ork filed (by course sponsor), and successfully com pleting certification. EM S agen cies often receive inconsistent and inadequate fund ing streams. A m bulance services cannot rely on a patient’ s insur ance to m eet the total expense o f their call; if the patient is not transported many insurances may not pay the bill - and the total cost o f that run falls on the agency. The 2025 Am bulance Fee Schedule is a national fee schedule for ambu lance services; it is a benefit under M edicare Part B, and it is irrele vant as to what state and local costs may differ. Squads with salaried responders pay when there are N O billable calls as well. There are som e funding opportu nities, but it often takes time and detailed paperw ork to apply for grants and such. Managers need to decide on what is truly a necessity on the rig based on available funds. The past few years have show n a decrease in volunteers and even the low er paid respon ders. This means that the costs g o up to maintain a viable service. Em ployers must find m ore incen tives, salaries, and benefits, to at tract g o o d EM Ts and Paramedics. M eanw hile mutual aid numbers and response tim es due to longer travel keep increasing. It is not a matter o f selfishness or lack o f concern; both the trained respon ders and the am bulance squads have bills to pay - and som etim es they must make hard choices.
Read more from a ll of our columnists on our website! www.1rbn.com
GARY HEARN
M iddleto w n O ccupants S afely Escape House F ire M IDDLETO W N, NY - On th e m o rn in g of D ecem ber 7th, th e C ity of M id d le to w n F.D. w as d is p a tc h e d to a h o u s e fire on A ca dem y Avenue. W h ile e n ro u te , M.F.D. re c e iv e d a report tha t th e o c c u p a n ts w ere p o s s ib ly s t ill in s id e th e b u ild in g . B o th o c c u p a n ts self-evacua ted p rio r to FD's a rriv a l. U pon a rriv a l, th e M id d le to w n F ire D ep artm e n t fo u n d fir e o n th e firs t flo o r rear, w ith e x te n s io n to th e 2nd flo o r rear.
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January, 2026
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1st Responder Newspaper - NY
1 "R e s p o n d e r N e w spa p er 1 A R D M O R E S T R E E T •NEW W IN D S O R , NY 12553 845-534-7500 •(fax) 845-534-0055 •N e w s @ 1 s t R e s p o n d e r N e w s . c o m
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JOCBelsitO (Joe® 1stRespondernews.com) GENERAL MANAGER
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In memory of those who gave a ll
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1st Responder Newspaper honors and remembers emergency responders lost in the line of duty
DISPATCHER RECRUITMENT & RETENTION (Rich® 1stResponder.com)
EDITORIAL STAFF COLUMNISTS Rick Billings (Cartoon) Bob Long (Cartoon) John Malecky (Apparatus, Bookshelf) Didymus McHugh (Chaplain's Corner) Fernando Villicana (Chaplain's Corner)
CORRESPONDENTS Jeffrey Arnold •Parker Austin •John Bechtold •Jeffrey Belschwinder •
Idaho: Frank Harwood, 42 Rank: Battalion Chief Incident Date: June 29, 2025 Death Date: June 29, 2025 Fire Department: Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Initial Summary: Battalion Chief Frank Harwood re
Missouri: Lee M. Kraus, 52 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: June 29, 2025 Death Date: July 1,2025 Fire Department: St. Louis Fire Department Initial Summary: On June 29, 2025, Firefighter Lee
sponded with other firefighters from Kootenai County
Kraus suffered a medical emergency after responding to
Fire and Rescue to a grass fire on Canfield Mountain in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Sometime after arriving on scene,
several calls and while still on duty. Firefighter Kraus was transported to the hospital. Despite the lifesaving ef
firefighters communicated that they were taking gunfire
forts o f first responders and medical professionals, Fire
•Russell Curley •Vinnie Dominick •Patrick D ’ Onofrio •Bob Faugh •
and believed that they had been ambushed. Battalion
Bradley Fowler •John Greco •Paul Harrington •Gary Hearn •Ron Jeffers •
Chief Harwood was fatally wounded during this time along with Battalion Chief John Morrison from the
fighter Kraus passed away at the hospital on July 1, 2025, from a reported cardiovascular event.
Brian Berkey •David Bums •Mike Carey •Mlichael Contaxis •Jeff Crianza
Lany Kensinger •Bob Krajicek •Connor Krueger •Jeff Levine •Stan De Long •Chuck Lowe •Tom Mlarra •Bob McCormick •Randy Mbntour • Tricia Mlood •William Mlurray •Mlark Picemo •Charlie Piper •David Ra~ gusa •John Rieth •Frank Robinson •Bob Root •Chris Sabella •Mlichael Serrell •Sharon Siegel •John Smith •Ken Snyder •John Spaulding •Bill Tompkins •Chris Tompkins •Bob Vaccaro •Gary Vanvoorhis •Frankie Verderame •Stephen Wallace •John Walthers •Eugene Weber Jr •Steve White •Guy Zampatori Jr
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Coeur d'Alene Fire Department. Officers from various law enforcement agencies promptly responded to the scene and exchanged gunfire with the lone gunman who was later found deceased. A fire engineer from the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department was also critically in jured during the incident and is recovering. Investigation
Texas: Michael Reedy, 38 Rank: Captain Incident Date: June 25, 2025 Death Date: June 25, 2025 Fire Department: Roanoke Fire Department Initial Summary: After his 48-hour shift during
into the incident continues.
which he completed a required annual physical and participated in a strenuous fitness activity, Captain
Idaho: John Morrison, 52 Rank: Battalion Chief Incident Date: June 29, 2025 Death Date: June 29, 2025 Fire Department: Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Initial Summary: Battalion Chief John Morrison re
Michael Reedy returned home. Within 24 hours o f completing his shift, Captain Reedy's spouse found
sponded with other firefighters from the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department to a grass fire on Canfield Mountain in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Sometime after arriving on scene, firefighters communicated that they were taking gunfire and believed that they had been ambushed. Battalion Chief Morrison was fatally wounded during this time along with Battalion Chief Frank Harwood from Koote nai County Fire and Rescue. Officers from various law enforcement agencies promptly responded to the scene and exchanged gunfire with the lone gunman who was later found deceased. A fire engineer from the Coeur
him unresponsive and initiated CPR. Captain Reedy was transported to the hospital where, despite all life saving efforts, he passed away. The cause o f death has yet to be determined.
Massachusetts: Jeffrey Deschenes, 54 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: May 29, 2025 Death Date: May 29, 2025 Fire Department: North Andover Fire Department Initial Summary: On May 29, 2025, Firefighter Jeffrey Deschenes responded to multiple calls during his shift. After returning home later that evening, Firefighter De schenes experienced chest pain and went to the emer gency room at approximately 10:00 p.m. He suffered a
d'Alene Fire Department was also critically injured dur ing the incident and is recovering. Investigation into the
heart attack that night while at the hospital. Medical pro
incident continues.
pronounced deceased.
fessionals were unable to resuscitate him, and he was
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
January, 2026
PAGE 7
F u lly Involved M o b ile Home F ire w ith Exposures in Springw ater SPRINGWATER, NY - On Monday, N ovem ber 3rd, at 2:50 p.m., firefighters from Springwa ter, Sparta and Livonia (FAST), along with Liv ingston County EM S were dis patched to a report o f smoke com ing from the r o o f o f a house at 7396 Wetmore Road in Springwater. Livingston County sheriff's deputies arrived on location and reported a m obile home fully in volved and the fire spreading to other nearby exposures. A ddi tional mutual aid was requested to the scene for a tanker from Honeoye and a ladder from Wayland F.D''s. There were several animals in the home; at least two cats were rescued by firefighters, and the status o f the others is unknown. The blaze was declared under control in about 90 minutes. No injuries were reported. The cause was under investigation by L iv ingston County Emergency Man agement. -J E F F R E Y A RNO LD JEFFREY ARN0LD/@FIREPH0T025 F u lly in v o lve d m ob ile home fire w ith exposures on Wetmore Road in Springwater.
JEFFREY ARN0LD/@FIREPH0T025
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January, 2026
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
BOB MCCORMICK
Driver Extricated Following Route 32 Crash in P la tte k ill
NIAGARA FALLS FIREFIGHTERS- LOCAL 714
NEW BURGH, NY — C ronom er V alley F ire Departm ent, o p e r a tin g u n d e r m utual a id, re s p o n d e d to a m otor v e h ic le a c c i de n t at State R o ute 32 a n d C h u rc h Street in th e Town of P la tte k ill o n Novem ber 26. One d riv e r was extricated from the v e h ic le , an d fire fig h te rs a s s is te d in ju re d p a rtie s after u s in g th e Jaw s of L ife on a tra p p e d driv e r. P la tt e k ill EMS tra n s p o rte d th e d riv e r, an d two a d d itio n a l a m b u la n c e s w ere re q u e ste d to tra n sp o rt two o ther s u b je cts in v o lv e d in the MVA. A ll p a tie n ts w ere tra n sp o rte d to M ontefiore St. Lu ke ’s H o s p i tal. State Route 32 was re d uce d to one lan e of traffic d u rin g the in c id e n t. T he New York State P o lic e are in v e s tig a tin g the cause of the a cciden t. P la tte k ill F ire Departm ent an d Deputy U lster C ounty F ire C o o rd in a to r 56-4 w ere o n scene.
NIAGARA FALLS FIREFIGHTERS- LOCAL 714
NIAGARA FALLS FIREFIGHTERS- LOCAL 714 VINNIE DOMINICK
Two-Car MVA on Route 300 in Newburgh N EW B U RG H , NY - C ro n o m e r V a lley F ire D epartm ent was c a lle d to a two-car MVA on Route 300 and G ardnertow n Road, N ovem ber 22nd. O ne p e rso n w as tra n s p o rte d by Town of N ew burgh EMS. Town of N ew burgh P o lic e an d NYS p o lic e w ere a ls o on scene.
Niagara Falls Crews Contain Early-Morning Garage Fire N IA G A RA FALLS, NY — O ctober 16 — Niagara F a lls F ire fig h te rs - L o c a l 714 re s p o n d e d aro u nd 3:55 a.m. on O ctober 16th to a reported stru ctu re fire at Le n’s Auto R e p a ir in th e 600 b lo c k of 21st Street. A p o lic e o ffic e r on p atro l firs t re p o rte d heavy sm oke an d fla m e s c o m in g from a garage in the a lle y between 20th and 21st Streets. E n g in e 4’s crew d e p lo y e d a h a n d lin e for in it ia l s u p p re s s io n w h ile T ruck 1 g a in e d access to th e structure. E n g in e 8 advanced a se co n d lin e th ro u g h a no rth-side man d o o r for an in te rio r attack, an d E n g in e 3 e s ta b lis h e d a hydra nt and water supply. F ire fig h te rs operated for about an h o u r before b rin g in g the fire u n d er control.
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
January, 2026
PAGE 9
Port J e rv is ’ Oldest F ire Company C elebrates 175th Anniversary! PORT JERVIS, NY - Port Jervis Fire Department’ s oldest company, Neversink Engine Co. No. 1., celebrated 175 years o f fire fighting service this fall. Its roots extend to 1850, be fore Port Jervis was even a village (1853) or city (1907). As PJFD's first fire company, those roots were es tablished by private individuals and as a privately owned company in its early protection o f Port Jervis' then growing rural community. Growth at that time came with the advent o f the Erie Railroad and Delaware and Hudson Canal, prompting in creasing need for fire protection and response. Initially named Port Jervis Fire Company No. 1, the name changed several times. The company was renamed H.H. FamumCo. in 1857 and then Abbot Steam Fire Engine Company in 1873, before merging in 1876 with another beginning company, Neversink Engine Co. No 1, which it remains through present. In 1850, the first firetruck was delivered to Neversink Engine Co. No. 1 and was housed in the com pany's first firehouse. Its earliest fire cart was pulled by firefighters, then by horse, and remains stored in the city’ s Fire Museum - which was once that same historic first PJFD firehouse. Neversink’ s equipment has evolved over the decades to keep up with changing needs. It currently operates Squad 1 (821), a 2023 Spartan ER Gladi ator (1500/1000) apparatus. To celebrate its milestone an niversary, a full course roast beef dinner was hosted at the com pany’ s current Orange Street fire house on October 25, 2025. Dedicated in 1991, that second company firehouse is just steps away from its first 1800’ s building, the current museum. As in its orig inal firehouse, Neversink No. 1 still adjoins with a second com pany, its neighboring Maghogom ock Hook and Ladder Company. It was ‘ H ooks’members who prepared and served last weekend’ s anniversary ‘ Old Timers’dinner. Members o f both companies are experienced and skilled in prepar ing large volume dinners, and fre quently host public takeout dinners as a means o f fundraising. PJFD Deputy Chief James Rohner, 58-year member o f N ev ersink and past chief o f PJFD, in troduced each firefighter in attendance at last weekend’ s event. They, and the year they joined PJFD, are: Hunter L. Dean (2025), Ralph R. Hessberger (1958), Dennis Horner, Sr. (1996), Jerry Lee Horner (2002), James H. Kinzel (1995), Robert J. Mills (1970), David D. M oore (1969), David D. Moore, Jr. (2009), Christopher M. Morock (1988), Jeffrey S. Rhoades
(1985), James W. Rohner, Jr. (1967), James W. Rohner, III (1996), Richard R. Senkiew (2005), Adam P. Scopino (2012), John 1. Shimer (1975), Robert A. Wahgroski (1993), Francis W. Werlitz (2021) A plaque was presented by Sus sex Fire Department Deputy Chief Chris Cameron for decades o f mu tual firefighting and friendship shared between the departments and their companies. Port Jervis Mayor Dominic M. Cicalese, who is also a past PJFD Chief, provided an official procla mation for the occasion referencing ‘ Engine 1’as officially organizing on September 5, 1850 and providing continuous protection to the city. It reads, in part: “Since the early days o f the Company with the sim ple hand drawn horse cart, followed by a horse drawn steamer until the present day with its sophisticated modern squad, the personnel o f the Neversink Engine Co. #1, supported by their families, have given contin uous dedicated and courageous firematic protection to our City...I, Dominic Cicalese, do hereby pro claim October 25, 2025, as “ N ev ersink Engine Co. #1 Day”in the City o f Port Jervis and, on behalf of the Comm on Council and our citi zens, wish Engine 1 at least another 175 years o f service and thank them for their efforts on behalf o f our safety and happiness.” - SHARON S IE G E L
SHARON E. SIEGEL Sussex Fire Department Deputy C hief C h ris Cameron presents a plaque to PJFD Deputy Chief/Past C hief James Rohner and in honor of th e ir longtim e firem atic frie n d s h ip w ith Neversink E ng in e Co. #1.
i UISVILLE IRDINALS f
SHARON E. SIEGEL (In a lp ha b e tic a l order, not as pictured): Hunter L. Dean (2025), R a lph R. Hessberger (1958), D en nis Horner, Sr. (1996), Jerry Lee Horner (2002), Jam es H. K in ze l (1995), Robert J. M ills (1970), D avid D. Moore (1969), David D. Moore, Jr. (2009), C hristo p he r M. Morock (1988), Jeffrey S. R hoades (1985), Jam es W. Rohner, Jr. (1967), James W. Rohner, III (1996), R ic h a rd R. Senkiew (2005), Adam P. S co p ino (2012), John J. S him e r (1975), Robert A. W alig ro ski (1993), Fra ncis W. W erlitz (2021)
PAGE 10
January, 2026
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
2nd Alarm House Fire in Chatham Sends Smoke Into the Sky V isib le from Albany CHATHAM, NY — On N o vember 21, 2025, at approximately 3:17 p.m., the Columbia County Emergency Commu nications Center re ceived multiple calls reporting a working structure fire in the Tri-Village Fire D is trict at 3869 Route
66.
The Tri-Village Task Force, consist ing o f the Chatham Fire Department, East Chatham Fire Department, Niverville Fire Department, North Chatham Fire Department, and the Stuyvesant Fire Department, along with its rapid intervention team, was dispatched to the scene. The column o f smoke from the house fire was visible from Interstate 90 at Everett Road in the City o f Albany under clear afternoon skies. The first-arriving chief on scene notified the dispatcher o f heavy fire in the rear o f the structure, extend ing up the back o f the building and into the home. Command immedi ately requested additional man power and resources. Firefighters deployed a 1W inch handline to the front o f the structure and a 2 1 /2-inch handline to the rear. Crews made an aggressive interior attack, knocking down a significant portion o f the fire on the first floor. Firefighters oper ating in the rear utilized a 2 1 /2-inch
handline to knock down heavy fire conditions extending up the back of the house. As operations continued, com mand conducted a 360-degree sizeup and observed heavy fire pushing from the Delta side o f the building, along with heavy smoke coming from the roof and second-floor win dows. Multiple tankers arrived on scene and established a water sup ply at the end o f the driveway. Command requested a second alarm, bringing additional resources from the Valatie Fire Department, Canaan Fire Department, Febanon Valley Fire Department, Spencertown Fire Department, and Red Rock Fire Department. Firefighters continued operating defensively from the rear o f the structure due to heavy fire traveling throughout the attic. Command confirmed that all occupants were accounted for and that no one remained inside the structure. Firefighters raised a ladder on the front side o f the structure and accessed the roof, where crews en tered the second floor with a 1Viinch handline and made an aggressive push to knock down heavy fire conditions in the attic. Firefighters on the first floor continued suppression efforts, pulling ceilings and portions o f the walls, which revealed additional heavy fire. Due to the extensive op
JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER/ SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY erations, command requested addi tional manpower from the Ghent Fire Department, Mellenville Fire Department, and Kinderhook Fire Department. Crews operating on the roof per formed vertical ventilation to access the attic fire, while firefighters in the rear continued to utilize master streams to knock down a large por
JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER/SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY
tion o f the fire. Firefighters in the rear operated with caution after a large portion o f the deck burned through. Crews continued extin guishing hotspots and pulling apart the rear o f the building. Firefighters remained on scene into the late evening hours. Due to the heavy fire conditions and exten sive fire spread, it took several hours
to bring the incident fully under con trol. All units cleared the scene later that evening. No injuries were re ported, and all residents and animals were able to exit the home safely. The cause o f the fire remains under investigation but does not appear to be suspicious in nature. - J E F F R E Y B E LS C H W IN D E R
JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER/ SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY T ri-V illa ge F ire Com pany's C h ie f Steven R osen in com m and at the scene.
January, 2026
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PAGE 12
January, 2026
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
BROTHERS & SISTERS OF THE EMERGENCY SERVICES If you have photos you would like to see in our “Brothers & Sisters o f the Emergency Services” feature, please upload them on our website, www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com.
NIAGARA FAILS FIREFIGHTERS- LOCAL 714
N iagara F a lls F ire fig h te rs B a ttle Early-M orning M otel F ire JAMESTOWN NY FIRE DEPARTMENT LOCAL 137. F o llo w in g a s u c c e s s fu l 15-week tra in in g program at th e New York State F ire Academy, the fo u r newest p ro b a tio na ry fire fig h te rs were w elcom ed to th e Jam estow n F ire Departm ent Lo cal 137. The d e partm ent c o n g ra tu la te d P ro b a tio n a ry F ire fig h te rs G le n n , W ebster, R u g g , an d Certo.
N IA G A R A FA LLS, NY - N iag ara F a lls F ire fig h te rs - L o c a l 714 re s p o n d e d a ro u n d 1:30 a.m. on O ctober 25th to a stru c tu re fire at the S w is s C ottage In n s , 6831 Niagara F a lls B ou le va rd. P o lic e o ffic e rs a rriv in g fo r an u n re la te d n o is e c o m p la in t d is c o v e re d heavy fire an d sm oke, an d began e v a c u a tin g re s id e n ts an d a n im a ls . F ire crew s a rriv e d w ith in m in u te s an d w o rke d fo r ne a rly th re e h o u rs to b rin g th e b la ze u n d e r c o n tro l. F lam e s sp re a d th ro u g h p o rtio n s of th e roof b e fo re th e fire w as f u lly co n ta in e d . No in ju rie s w ere re p o rte d, a n d th e c a u se re m a in s u n d e r in v e s tig a tio n by fire in v e s tig a to rs an d C o de E nforcem ent.
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EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES I f y o u have p h otos y o u w ou ld like to se e in our “E m ergen cy M edical S erv ices”feature, please upload them on ou r w ebsite w w w .lstR espon derN ew s.com o r em ail them to L in d sey @ lstR esp on d erN ew s.co m .
New Paltz, NY (11/24/2025) - New Paltz R e scue S q ua d (NPRS) re ce ntly contracted w ith U lster C ounty to s ig n ific a n tly expand its coverage area a n d e s ta b lis h e d a new s tra te g ic a lly p la c e d statio n o n Route 32 in Modena, NY. For t h is new location, they are in the p rocess of a d d in g v e h ic le s and staff to su p po rt a 24-hour B LS (Basic L ife Support) A m b u la n ce as w e ll as a 12-hour, da ytim e A LS (Advanced L ife Support) Fly C ar to its re s p o n se system . B e g in n in g on January 1, 2026, th e se re s p o n se u n its w ill be contracted to answ er m e d ic a l 911 c a lls in th e Town of M odena an d s u rro u n d in g areas. In January of 2024, N PRS ex p and e d se rv ic e to the Town of L lo y d w hen the need aro se for EMS cov erage at an a ffo rda b le an d s u s ta in a b le cost. N PRS is le a d in g the way in s u p p o rtin g the com m u nity and area re s id e n ts w ith the e x c e p tio n a l em ergency m e d ic a l care they deserve. “ O ur c a ll v o lu m e h as m ore tha n d o u b le d over th e last two years, an d th a n k s to o u r in c re d ib ly d e d ic a te d staff, we have m a in ta in e d a 98% re s p o n se rate,” a d d e d N PRS C h ie f a n d C EO , Matthew Goodnow . “ O ur g o a l has a l ways been to p ro v id e the best p o s s ib le care fo r o u r com m unity. We w ill c o n tin u e to grow c a re fu lly and re s p o n s ib ly to m a in ta in the u nw av e ring m is s io n of N P R S .” BOB MCCORMICK Over the past few years, U lster C ounty o ffic ia ls have seen an in c re a s in g need fo r a d d itio n a l EMS coverage a n d re s p o n se to u n d e rse rv e d areas. W ith v o lu n te e r a g e n c ie s s tru g g lin g to staff an d e q u ip th e ir ou tfits, U lste r C ounty has fo rm a lly re q ue ste d that N PRS e xp and its s e rv ic e area to meet the need. N PRS an d C h ie f Goodnow , re ce n tly h o ste d C ounty Executive, J e n n ife r Metzger, an d other U l ster C ounty O ffic ia ls fo r a p re ss co n fe re n ce o u t lin in g th e ir re s o lv e to meet that re q ue st (UC EMS Press Conference). T h is new se rv ic e m odel is both in n o va tiv e and e ffic ie n t and w ill a llo w w ell-staffed and e q u ip p e d EMS a g e n c ie s to better serve th e ir co m m u nity re s id e n ts , e s p e c ia lly in th e m ore ru ra l and u n d e rse rv e d areas of the county. A bout New Paltz R e scue S q ua d Inc. The New Paltz R e scue S q ua d is a non-profit o rg a n iz a tio n d e d ic a te d to p ro v id in g state-of-the-art, p re h o s p ita l care, su p po rt, an d e d u c a tio n for our com m unity. O ur R e scu e S q ua d has been com m itted to e x c e lle n c e s in c e its fo u n d in g in A p ril of 1973. S in c e then, we have been a le a d in g p ro v id e r of Em er g ency M edica l S e rv ic e s in the H u d so n V alley w h ile re m a in in g , alw ays, a com m unity-based o rg a n iza tio n . W hat se p arate s R e s c u e from o th er a m b u la n c e s e rv ic e s h a s been o u r e n d u rin g c u ltu re of integrity, em pathy, respect, and patient advocacy.
BOB MCCORMICK
Driver Transported After Crash on North Plank Road in Newburgh
New Paltz R e scue S q ua d is the p rim a ry EMS re s p o n se agency fo r the Town and V illa g e of New Paltz, Town of Lloyd, Town of G ardine r, Town of P la tte k ill, an d the C lin to n d a le an d M odena fire d is tric ts , as w e ll as th e p rim a ry A LS and se co nda ry B LS re s p o n se a gency fo r s u rro u n d in g areas. R e s p o n d in g to over 6000 c a lls in 2024, the co m m u nity an d volunteer-based agency boasts a 98% re s p o n se rate. In 2024, New Paltz R escue was selected as the H udson V alley EMS A gency of the year for its o u tsta n din g service. As U lster C o u nty’s no m inee, N PRS was am ong e lite am b u lan ce se rv ic e s c o n s id e re d from D utchess, Orange, Putnam , S u lliv a n an d R o c k la n d C ou nties.
N EW B U RG H , NY - C ro n o m e r V a lle y a n d G o o d W ill F ire De p artm e nts re s p o n d e d to a tw o - v e h ic le MVA w ith in ju rie s at 41 N orth P la n k R o ad on N ovem ber 13th. Town of N ew burgh P o lic e w ere o n s c e n e a n d re q u e s te d Town of N e w b urg h EM S fo r an in ju re d d riv e r, w ho w as tra n s p o rte d to Montefio re St. L u k e ’s H o sp ita l. F ire fig h te rs sp re a d S p e ed y D ry on f lu id s o n th e ro adw ay a n d m ade b o th v e h ic le s sa fe from h a za rds. C ro n o m e r V a lle y a n d G o o d W ill F ire P o lic e a s s is te d w ith tra ffic. Town of N ew b urg h P o lic e are in v e s tig a t in g th e c a u s e of th e a c c id e n t. MEW PALTZ RESC U E SQUAD
Visit 1st Responder News on the Web at www.1RBN.com KENNY MILLER
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January, 2026
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
SHARON E. SIEGEL Sparrow bush E n g in e Com pany responded w ith in m inutes, as d id m utual a id com panies, and q u ic k ly contained a single-fam ily fire that left n in e people, two pets disp lace d. BUFFALO NIAGARA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT
BNIA Fire Department Welcomes Three New Firefighters BUFFALO, NY - The Buffalo Niagara International A irport Fire Department announced the g ra duatio n of three re cruit fire fig h te rs from the New York State F ire Academy. F ire fig h te r Reese Tomporowski w ill be a ssign e d to the 1st Platoon, Liam S u lliv a n to the 2nd Platoon, and Payton C onnors to the 3rd Platoon. The recruits com pleted state-certified tra in in g in fire s u p p re ssio n , rescue operations, and em ergency response procedures. T he ir assignm ents place them across a ll sh ifts to suppo rt d a ily operations and in c id e n t response at the a ir port and w ith in the departm ent’s m utual-aid network.
Sparrowbush Fire Quickly Contained, but Nine Residents and Two Pets Displaced SPARROWBUSH, NY - Just before 10 a.m. on Saturday, N o vember 15th, a residential, single family house was reported to be on fire at 6 Darraugh Lane, Spar rowbush. It was initially reported that a toddler bed was on fire, with possibly a canine and one person trapped. It was later confirm ed that a canine was still in the house, but all residents had exited safely. Sparrowbush Engine C om pany 1st Assistant C hief Michael Reiser, who was first on scene, ar rived within minutes o f dispatch. SE C O C h ief Carl Van Horn re ported that upon arrival. Reiser encountered heavy smoke in the front o f the building and placed a Second Alarm call for help. SECO’ s tanker, firefighters, and additional apparatus arrived on scene within minutes, as well, fo l low ed by quick responses o f mu-
TD FILE #111525190
39 £ »
tual aid units. “With it being the first w eek end o f rifle season for deer hunt ing, we wanted to be sure we had enough water and manpower for fire conditions,”Van Horn said o f the Second Alarm response. “Our tanker carries 7,000 gallons o f water. It turned out that we only used 2500 gallons due to every on e’ s response and quick work.” Upon arrival, it was noted that a resident o f the house had re-en tered the building to find his dog, but had not been successful. Upon arrival o f a tanker minutes after his own arrival on scene. Reiser made a sweep o f the residence. He also was unable to locate the m iss ing dog at first. However, as he
exited the front door, the dog ap proached the doorway and was able to be handed over to his owner. “It was a really go od stop due to a fast response, hard work, ded ication in training, and honestly bravery,”Van Horn said. Departments and units on scene included SECO, Port Jervis, Huguenot, Matamoras, Westfall, Milford, Lumberland, and Forestburgh, along with Deerpark Police Department, and Port Jervis A m bulance Corp. The Red Cross was called to assist the nine displaced individu als - five adults and four children — and two pets, which were the dog and a rabbit. No injuries were reported, and the cause was not immediately available. - SHARON S IE G E L
STILL IN SERVICE I f you have photos you w ould like to see in our “Still in Service”feature, please upload them on our website, w w w .lstR esponderN ew s.com or email them to L indsey@ lstR esponderN ew s.com
EAST AVON FIRE DEPARTMENT
East Avon and Lima Firefighters Respond to Two-Vehicle Crash on Route 15A EAST AVON, NY - On October 7th, East Avon Fire Department responded w ith the Lim a Volunteer Fire Department to a twov e h ic le cra sh w ith in ju rie s at the in terse ctio n of Route 15A and C hase Road. Crews w orked together to secure the area, a ssist EMS personnel, and manage roadway hazards to en su re the scene rem ained safe for both responders and mo to rists. F ire fig h te rs p ro v id e d traffic control, s ta b iliz e d the v e h ic le s involved, and supported Lim a’s in c id e n t com m and u n til the scene was cleared. Both departm ents em phasized the im portance of c o o rdin a te d response d u rin g roadway em ergencies, w here com m u nicatio n and team work are es se n tia l for safety and efficiency.
CHUCK LOWE Carm el Rescue 12-6-1 is a 1992 Sim on-Duplex D500/Saulsbury.
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
January, 2026
PAGE 15
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PAGE 16
January, 2026
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
BOB MCCOBM ICK
Two Sheds Destroyed in Plattekill Fire PLA TTEKILL, NY - T h e P la tte k ill F ire Departm ent re spo n de d to a reported stru ctu re fire o n S unn y A cres Road on Novem ber 9th. Car 1 a rriv e d on sce n e and fo u n d two sh e d s fu lly in volved. It was reported that a 100-gallon gas tank was in one of the sh e ds. A se c o n d alarm was re q ue ste d an d so un ded. C ron om er V a lley an d C o lde n h a m F ire D epartm ents re s p o n d e d to th e scene, an d M odena an d C lin to n d a le re s p o n d e d w ith tankers. T he fire was kn o c ke d dow n at the 10-minute status check, w ith fo ur h a n d lin e s in operation. F ire fig h te rs u se d h a n d to o ls to p ic k apart th e in te rio rs of the sheds. No gas tank was located. Deputy F ire C o o rd in a to rs 541, 54-3, and 54-4, a lo n g w ith O range C ounty D eputy F ire Co o rd in a to rs 36-12 and 36-13, were on scene. NYS P o lic e were a lso on scene. The U lster C ounty A rson Task Force was c a lle d to the scene. T he fire is u n d er in v estig a tio n .
DRIIIS/TRAINING To se e you r D rills in the new spaper u pload them on our w ebsite w w w .lstR espon d erN ew s.com or em ail them to L in d sey @ lstR esp on d erN ew s.co m
JENNIFER PETERSON W orking to put out the blaze.
Structure Fire Takes Down Garage in Rifton RIFTON, N Y - On the evening o f Novem ber 10, 2025, the Rifton Fire Department was dispatched to reports o f a fully involved structure fire on State Route 213 in Rifton. U pon arrival. C h ief Peterson confirm ed a working fire with the structure fully engulfed in flames. A rapid and aggressive strategy was im plem ented to contain the blaze and protect surrounding areas. Initial assessments con firmed that the structure was unoc cupied, and no injuries were reported among civilians or first re sponders. Due to the severity and rapid
TD FILE #111225143
3> £ » spread o f the fire, RFD requested and received extensive mutual aid from neighboring departments. The collaborative effort was instrumen tal in bringing the incident under control. A ssisting agencies included: Tillson Volunteer Fire Department, Rosendale Fire Department, H igh Falls Fire Department, Esopus Fire Department, N ew Paltz Fire D e partment, Stone Ridge Fire Depart ment, K ingston Fire Department
(including their FAST team). Saint Remy Fire Department, B loom ing ton Fire Department, and Town o f Esopus Volunteer Am bulance Squad. Rt 213, between Carney Rd and O ld Post Rd, was closed for six hours while crews worked to tame the blaze. Through the swift and coordinated efforts o f all personnel on scene, the fire was contained and the scene secured. The cause o f the fire is cur rently under investigation by the appropriate authorities. - J E N N IF E R P E T E R S O N
WHITESBORO VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT V olunteer fire fig h te rs from th e W hite sb o ro V olunteer FD sp e n t a n ig h t in O ctober h o n in g th e ir re scue s k ills , p ra c tic in g a s e rie s of hands-on d r ills fo c u s e d o n v ic tim e x tric a tio n a n d ro pe re sc u e te c h n iq u e s .
JENNIFER PETERSON In v e s tig a tin g the rear of th e structure.
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
January, 2026
PAGE 17
BUFFALO NIAGARA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT TOWN OF MOHAWK FIRE DEPARTMENT
TOWN OF MOHAWK FIRE DEPARTMENT
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BUFFALO NIAGARA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT
Longtim e F ire S e rv ice Leader in B u ffa lo Added to W a ll of Honor BUFFALO, NY - R e tire d A ssista nt C h ie f M ike K lu c k of the B uf fa lo N iagara In te rn a tio n a l A irp o rt F ire D epartm ent w as in du cte d in to th e E rie C ounty W all of H onor in re c o g n itio n of m ore tha n fo u r de ca de s of service. The W all of Honor h ig h lig h ts in d iv id u a ls w ho have show n c o n s is te n t d e d ic a tio n to the fire se rv ice and th e ir com m unities. T hro u g ho u t h is career, K lu c k p ro v id e d le a d e rs h ip in d a ily o p e ratio ns, tra in in g , and c o o rd in a tio n w ith m utual-aid p artners a c ro ss the region. H is in d u c tio n a c k n o w le d g e s th e long-term im p act of h is w ork a n d h is co m m itm e nt to s u p p o rtin g fire fig h te rs an d p u b lic safety agencies.
TOWN OF MOHAWK FIRE DEPARTMENT
Town of Mohawk Firefighters Contain Structure Fire on State Highway 5 FONDA, NY - Town of Mohawk Fire Departm ent crew s re spo n de d to a structure fire at 3876 State Highw ay 5, O ctober 26th, after a M ontgom ery County S h e riff’s deputy con firm ed a w o rkin g fire on a rrival. An a ssistant c h ie f requested a d d itio n a l tankers and m anpower from C anajoharie, Fort P la in, T ribes H ill, and G le n fire departm ents, w h ile F u lto n v ille F ire Departm ent e s ta b lis h e d a f ill site in the V illa g e of Fonda. F ire fig h te rs b ro ug ht the blaze u nder c on trol in about 50 m inutes.
January, 2026
PAGE 18
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
Where is my office? Chaplain’s Corner Didymus McHugh
There are lawyers that have big fancy offices with fancy large desks and try to come o ff with a persona to impress peoples, to make them think that they are worth their fees. Doctors have all the fancy equip ment and their certificates and diplomas. Many o f the executives have offices where they do their business. Many times my role changes throughout the day, I may have a Bible in the bag to keep me grounded in my faith and be able to lead others in their faith. I may have a tablet in the bag with material on disaster, crisis, trauma and other subjects. I don’ t have a place to hang my certificates or a place to keep my books. I have my comfort in the bag as well. I may have my favorite tea and emergency food. I may have pictures or trinkets that remind me o f loved ones. There may be fa vorite music on the tablet and dif ferent electronic adapters and pads and pens. Sometimes I even surprise my self with what I have: a toothbrush and paste, soap, comb, binoculars, ball cap, a clown nose to help someone laugh, or a solar charger for my phone or a solar blow up light. I may carry things in the pock ets o f my jacket that some people may not figure out, like Narcan, a CPR mask, ammonia inhalants.
some tools, tissues, or I don’ t even know these days. Some o f the others things that I have in the bag and leave there are the wakes that I have done families that have lost loved ones that I had to try to comfort, hospital visits, working with people after disasters who now have nothing in their life, working with addicts almost begging them to give us drugs so that they can watch their children grow up, not knowing that I talk with people who were thinking about taking their lives, or stuff like working with a family that lost a mother and special needs child in a fire and the mother looks like my child. These are things in my bag that get unpacked when I least expect it and it may take a while to get back into the bag. I may carry things in the pockets that some people may not figure out, like Narcan, a CPR mask, ammonia inhalants, some tools, tissues, or I don’ t even know these days. I am nothing special. I am an ex perienced person who has been help ing people through challenges for about forty years. I may never re ceive recognition and few people will ever remember my name, that is not why I do what I do. I do my work because I am here to love, encourage and assist people. I need to build re lationships quickly so that I can hear things that they may not trust to tell others. My office, my life, my every thing seems to be in that bag. Most o f what I have lived and learned, people may not to ever know. Let’ s hear it for the chaplain bag. Stay safe, Didymus McHugh didymus-mchugh.com
OUR CALENDAR IS EXPANDING W e N eed
Ys a sse m b l y w o m a n
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^HTEN SCelS
YORKVILLE FIRE & HOSE COMPANY
Y orkville Assistant Chief Honored on First Responders Day YORKVILLE, N Y - Members o f the Yorkville Fire & H ose C om pany join ed fellow first responders from across the region at the State Office Building on Tuesday, O cto ber 28th, to celebrate National First Responders Day. During the ceremony. Assistant C h ief Scott Adsit was recogn ized for his calm leadership, com pas sion, and dedication to public serv ice, qualities that have made him a respected leader within the depart-
JUMP TO FILE #110525103
ment and the community. “This recognition is a proud re flection o f one o f our finest lead ers,”the department said. “We are truly thankful for his service to the people o f Yorkville.” The event was sponsored by Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon and Gates C ole Insurance,
who organized the gathering to honor the bravery, professionalism, and sacrifice o f local emergency personnel. Yorkville Fire congratulated Assistant C hief Adsit and all other award recipients, commending their continued commitment to serving and protecting their communities. - C O U RT ESY OF Y O R K V IL L E F IR E & HOSE COMPANY
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January, 2026
PAGE 19
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The Cam den V olunteer Fire Departm ent p a rticip a te d in live-fire tra in in g at the Oswego Fire S chool a lo n g s id e Sylvan Beach and n e ig h b o rin g departm ents. The d r ill focused on coo rdinated in te rio r op e ratio ns, hose advancem ent, and fire attack te c h n iq u e s under re a lis tic co n ditio n s. Florence Volunteer Fire Com pany cov ered C am den’s d is tric t d u rin g the tra in in g to e nsure response readiness. The exercise strengthened re g io na l cooperation and enhanced fire fig hte r p ro ficie n cy across p a rticip a tin g agencies.
WENDELVILLE FIRE COMPANY W e n d e lv ille Fire Com pany hosted v e h ic le s ta b iliz a tio n tra in in g w ith North Am herst Fire Com pany and E g g e rts v ille Hose Company. F ire fig h te rs practiced se cu ring v e h ic le s p o sitio n ed on th e ir side, roof, and stacked, sim u la tin g com plex crash scenarios. The d r ill focused on safe sta b iliza tio n te ch n iq u e s u sin g c rib b in g and struts before extrication operations. Strong p a rticip a tio n from a ll depart ments h ig h lig h te d effective teamwork and shared com m itm ent to te c hn ic a l rescue readiness
WEST LEYDEN VOL. FIRE DEPARTMENT Members of the West Leyden Volunteer Fire Department participated in a gra in b in rescue tra in in g hosted by the 3-G Fire Department. The sessio n, coordinated by C orn ell C ooperative Extension of Lew is County, focused on im p ro vin g response te c hn iq u e s for a g ric u ltu ra l em ergencies in v o lv in g g ra in entrapm ent. F ire fig h te rs received both classroo m in stru c tio n and p ractical dem onstrations u sin g sp e c ia liz e d rescue equipm ent de sig n e d for g ra in storage incidents. The tra in in g em phasized hazard awareness, safe entry procedures, and co o rdina tio n among re spo n ding agencies.
CAMDEN VOL FIRE DEPT
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January, 2026
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
Port Jervis Fire Department and Mutual Aid Departments Quickly Contain Chimney Fire
BOB MCCOBMICK
One Injured in Rollover Crash in Town of Newburgh NEW BURGH, NY - Town of New burgh P o lic e , O range Lake Fire Department, and Town of Newburgh EMS responded to a reported ro llo v e r at 71 East Rock Road on November 21st. The operator was out of the v e h ic le upon arrival. Fire fig h te rs spread Speedy Dry on flu id s on the roadway. Town of New b u rg h EMS transported the d riv e r to M ontefiore St. Lu ke ’s Hospital. The road was c lo se d d u rin g the incident. The v e h i c le was im pounded. Town of Newburgh P o lic e are investigat in g the cause.
PORT JERVIS, NY - R esi dents o f a single-family home were displaced as a result o f fire that began in the chimney o f their home and spread to the ceilings and attic early afternoon on Saturday, D e cember 6th. Port Jervis Fire Department arrived on scene within minutes o f a resi dent’ s call for help. At that time, a resi dent was inside at tempting to extinguish the fire him self and was asked to exit the home as firefighters went to work to contain and knock the fire down. PJFD 1st Asst. Chief Anthony Fuller placed a second alarm call for help in order to have addi tional manpower available, but said the fire was a typical chimney fire with nothing out o f the ordi nary. While the fire did extend out o f the chimney and into the ceil ing and attic, it was able to be contained to the section o f the home near where the fire origi nated. Orange and Rockland re sponded to shut o ff gas and elec tric to home, and the structure’ s water supply has been stopped. Residents o f the home, as well as their pet cat, safely exited their home to a nearby home o f other family members as the house is
SHARON E. SIEGEL currently uninhabitable. One resident, who remained on scene, said he was awakened by the smell o f smoke and noticed that it was not the typical smell o f w ood burning in his w ood burning stove. He attempted to solve the problem him self but quickly realized he
needed to call for help, which he did. Units were on scene from Port Jervis as well as neighboring NY, PA, and NJ fire departments. - SHARON S IE G E L
PATCH OF THE MONTH I f you have photos you w ould like to s ee in our “Patch o f the month “feature please upload them on our website, w ww .lstR esponderN ew s.com or em ail them to L ind sey@ lstR espond erN ew s.com .
JESSICA PUUAR
Walden Car Fire WALDEN, NY - W alden F ire Department responded to a re ported car fire on the m orning of November 14,2025, near Bel A ir Park on State Route 52. Car 1 arrived on scene, fin d in g a w o rkin g car fire , pro m p ting a resound. Crews a rriv e d on scene sh o rtly after, and Lt. G onda put the fire out u s in g the trash lin e on Squad 236. Tanker 239 a lso responded to the scene to p rovide extra water if required. Crews had the fire out w ith in a few m inutes but stayed on scene to b lo c k traffic u n til the v e h ic le was rem oved from the roadway. W alden u n its were back in service w ith in an hour.
PROVIDED BY STEVE GULACK T h is patch b e lo n g s to the Genesee Valley (Volunteer) FD, in Henrietta, NY.
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
January, 2026
PAGE 21
SHARON E. SIEGEL Fire fig h te rs spray water to soak the affected area, and create a fire break to stop the spread of the Sparrow bush b ru sh fire.
VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY OF WESTERN
W estern F ire Rescues M o to rcy clist After Crash Down Embankment W ESTERN, NY - At approxim ately 1:35 p.m. on O ctober 4th, the Volunteer Fire Com pany of W estern was d isp a tc h e d to a m otorcycle accident after a rid e r reportedly swerved to avoid a deer and stru ck a g u a rd ra il, ejecting him over the ra il and dow n a steep em bankm ent. Due to the te rra in , fire fig h te rs con ducted a te c h n ic a l rescue, low ering a Stokes basket to safely retrieve the in ju re d m o torcyclist and b rin g him back up to the roadway. The patient was then transferred to a w ait in g Am-Care A m bulance and transported to the h o sp ita l for treatm ent of h is in ju ries. R e s p o n d in g u n its in c lu d e d Rescue 1, Rescue 2, and E n g in e 2, w ith 13 mem bers on scene, along w ith the New York State P olice. The departm ent com m ended the co o rdina te d team work of a ll respon ders in e x ecuting a safe and efficien t rescue u nd er c h a lle n g in g c o n d itio n s.
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Sparrowbush Brush Fire Q uickly Contained by Fast-Actions of F ire fig hte rs SPARROWBUSH, NY Sparrowbush Engine Company re sponded to a November 5th brush fire on Old Country Road that ac cidentally sparked in a resident’ s yard and was initially very small. Drought con ditions and a brisk breeze changed that situation as fire units arrived quickly on scene to find flames being suddenly fanned by wind and extending up a steep bank and into the rural, wooded area surrounding the fire’ s source. SECO 1st Assistant Chief Michael Reiser said the extension eventually reached an area o f about 50 X 200 feet before being con tained and then extinguished through the fast actions o f respond ing fire units. Reiser noted that a stone wall at the top o f the bank also helped firefighters stop flames from extending further on one sec tion o f the affected area. Reiser warned that while re cent bum bans had been lifted, dry, windy conditions are always a cause to be extra careful. While not speaking specifically about this call, he urged all not to bum in windy, dry conditions, and - if burning - always have a water source such as a garden hose quickly available and continuously watch what it being burned. “We may not have a bum ban, but we have to be extra smart dur ing these conditions,”Reiser said. “ Luckily today we had very skilled and trained volunteers from the area who responded rapidly and made a difference. Very amazing work was done by everybody.”
SHARON E. SIEGEL F ire fig h te rs extend lin e s in to the affected S p arro w b ush b ru s h fire area. No one was injured and all buildings were protected from dam age. The cause o f the blaze was not immediately available. Units involved were SECO (en gine, tanker, and brush truck). Port Jervis Fire Department (engine and UTV), Huguenot Fire Company
(engine and tanker), Westfall Fire Department (engine). Town o f Deerpark Police Department, New York State Police, and Battalion 8 Deputy Fire Coordinator Jeff Rhoades. - SHARON S IE G E L
PAGE 22
January, 2026
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
January, 2026
PA G E 23
IN SERVICE If you have photos you w ould like to see in our In Service feature, please upload them on our w ebsitewww.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com .
______________________________
FRANK ROBINSON
FRANK ROBINSON Stony P o in t F ire Departm ent operates a 2019 In terna tio na l/R e scu e 1.
Haverstraw Hose 4 operates a 1989 A m erican LaFrance 1500/500.
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PAGE 24
January, 2026
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
BOB MCCORMICK
Structure Fire Reported at Newburgh M obil Gas Station NEWBURGH, NY - NEWBURGH, NY - W inona Lake and Or ange Lake Fire Departments responded to a structure fire at the M obil Gas Station located at 1423 State Route 300 on No vem ber 29th. F ire fighte rs arrived to fin d an active fire at the rear of the b u ild in g . Crews used hand lin e s to e x tin g u is h the fire and hand to o ls to check for extension. G ro und ladders were placed, and the roof area was checked for fire exten sio n . Town of New burgh P o lic e and EMS were on scene. State Route 300 was blocked off by p o lic e d u rin g the incident. Orange County Deputy Fire C oordinator 36-13 was on scene. County Fire Inspectors 36-102 and 36-103 responded. The fire is under investigation.
THOMAS MARRA A fire broke out in a 2nd floo r apartment in Albany, dam aging a donut sho p below.
Fire Destroys Apartments and Donut Shop in Albany ALBANY, NY - A kitchen fire is believed to be to blame for a fire that destroyed apartments and a local donut shop in Albany. The City o f Albany Fire D e partment was called to 193 Lark St on Sunday, Novem ber 2nd, for a report o f a kitchen fire on the sec ond floor. U pon arrival o f firefighters, heavy fire was observed com ing from the second and third floors o f the structure, extending to nearby buildings.
Jump to file #111425188
*4 A second alarm was transmit ted, bringing in additional com pa nies. Crews began fighting the fire and protecting exposure buildings. The fire was quickly knocked down and crews gained access to the attic to check for extension. The first floor o f the building is home to Bitchin Donuts.
“ As the literal smokes clears, I want to start by saying a huge **THANK YOU** to the Albany Fire Department, first responders, and police officers,”read a Faceb ook post from the owners o f Bitchin Donuts. “You all showed up *fast*, worked your hearts out, and saved so much. I ’ m deeply impressed and so thankful for your quick action.” - THOMAS MARRA
BINGHAMTON FIRE DEPARTMENT
Overturned Tractor-Trailer Fire Shuts Down 1-81 North BINGHAMTON, NY - On October 22nd at approxim ately 4:05 a.m., B ingham ton Fire Department’s E n g in e 4, G roup B, was d isp a tch ed to a report of an overturned tractor tra ile r on In terstate 81 North. W hile en route, disp a tch inform ed respond in g u n its that the cab of the truck was fu lly inv o lve d in fire. Upon arrival, the Bingham ton P o lic e Department had already clo se d the highw ay to ensure the safety of em ergency per so n n el and m otorists. F ire fighte rs from E n g in e 4 q u ic k ly ex tin g u is h e d the fire and w orked to control a fuel leak from the vehicle . The d riv e r had self-extricated p rio r to the arriv a l of fire crews. Bingham ton Fire Department A m bulance p erson nel pro v id e d m edical care on scene and transported the pa tie nt to W ilson H ospital for evaluation.
THOMAS MARRA
January, 2026
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
PAGE 25
Adams Center Fire Responds to Rollover ADAM S, N Y - At approxi mately 3:49 a.m. on Monday, O c tober 20th, the Adams Center Fire Department (ACFD) and South Jeff Rescue (SJR) were dispatched to a single-vehicle rollover with entrap ment. U pon arrival, crews found one o c Jump TO FILE# cupant trapped in 1031 25147 side the vehicle. Firefighters quickly began extrication ef forts and su ccess fully freed the individual, who was then turned over to emergency medical person nel for evaluation. Responding units included Chiefs 2-0-1 and 2-0-2, Engine 21-2, and Rescue 2-6-1, along with South Jeff Rescue, the N ew York State Police, and D errigo’ s T ow ing. The department com m ended the teamwork o f all responding agencies for their swift and coordi nated response during the earlymorning incident.
m
&
HARTFORD VOLUNTEER FIRE CO
Hartford and Mutual Aid Companies Assist at Industrial Fire H A RT FO RD , N Y—O ctob er 8— J u s t after 2:30 p.m. on W ednesday, O ctob er 8th, th e G ra n v ille E n g in e an d Hose Com pany, a lo n g w ith H artford V olunteer F ire C om pany and o th e r m utual-aid partners, w as d is p a tc h e d to the St. G o b a in fa c ility fo r reports of a stru c tu re fire. F irst- a rriv in g u n its c o n firm e d a w o rk in g fire in s id e th e p la n t’s in c in e ra to r. C rew s q u ic k ly advanced lin e s an d c o n ta in e d the fla m e s b efore they c o u ld sp re a d fu rth e r in to the b u ild in g . The fire w as b ro u g h t u n d e r c o n tro l w ith in m inutes.
I
- C O U R T ESY O F ADAMS C EN T E R F IR E DEPT. ADAMS CENTER FIRE DEPARTMENT
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January, 2026
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
Port Jervis Fire Department’s Tri-States Hose Co. No. 6 Celebrates 135th Anniversary PORT JERVIS, NY - Port Jervis Fire Department’ s Tri-States Hose Co. No. 6 celebrated 135 years o f service to its community with a special “ Old Timers”dinner held this past August. Established in 1890, Hose 6 is the youngest company in the department, but has always operated from the same 1892 J ump to file# firehouse - the oldest 110525141 in the department. That history, and the continuous service of its skilled, dedicated firefighters over gen eration was recognized and saluted at this dinner celebration. Captain William Conklin and 1st Lt. Ed Pavlich presented person alized certificates and company shirts to current members, and rec ognized dignitaries and fellow fire fighters from a New Jersey Fire Company. N.J.’ s Haverstraw Fire Depart m ent’ s Relief Hose Co. No. 3, in turn, presented a plaque referencing “ the Great Delaware River Flood” during which their company spent multiple days o f response in Port Jervis, and the lasting friendship that was formed with Hose 6. Conklin praised that friendship, rooted in the 1955 flooding crisis in which Port Jervis received much-needed mutual aid from this Haverstraw company. With volunteer departments like Port’ s and Haverstraw’ s thinning across the nation these historic de partments share a mission of regular, continuous response to emergency calls and mutual protection o f life and property throughout each year. PJFD Deputy Chief James Rohner, a 57-year member o f PJFD’ s Neversink Engine Co. #1 and Past PJFD Chief, acted as Mas ter o f Ceremonies for this event. Rohner noted that Hose 6, like other companies, continues to “do more with less”in their vital protective
SHARON E. SIEGEL Members of PJFD and Haverstraw all-volunteer fire departments. mission. “ The way the city is spread out, having a firehouse in West End and Tri-States has been integral,”Rohner said, noting past floods, bridge clo sures, and Tri-States being separated by the Neversink River have made Hose #6 invaluable. Rohner recounted past calls as well as local interactions and involve ment. He also recalled a humorous past parade day when members wore their hats backwards and marched backwards, as a sort o f protest to an unliked policy. He drew applause with reflections o f the company’ s military and veteran service, praising the strong military service record of company’ s volunteer firefighters. “ Many members o f Hose 6
served in World War I and at other times,”Rohner said. “This company has always supported America’ s troops and veterans.” A musical slideshow included photos o f military service members, some o f whom made the ultimate sacrifice in the line o f duty during wartime military service. PJFD Assistant Chief Jeffrey Lewis was among others who also thanked the company and its mem bers for their service, and for always being there to help out. Port Jervis Mayor Dominic Cicalese, himself an active firefighter and past PJFD chief, presented a proclamation naming the day in the company’ s honor and thanking the members for the for safety and hap
piness their efforts provide to the city. “Since the early days o f the com pany’ s existence with their simple hand drawn horse cart until present day with its sophisticated modem pumper, the personnel o f Tri-States Hose Company #6, supported by their families, have given continuous
dedicated and courageous protection to our city,”Cicalese said. “I thank you for your courage, commitment, dedication, and professionalism as we honor the past, celebrate the pres ent, and move forward.” - SHARON S IEG E L
SHARON E. SIEGEL
SHARON E. SIEGEL
E d P a v lic h , Jr. Jim R o hn er, B ill C o n k lin w ith Hose 6 lo n g e st m em ber H a ro ld Degroat, Jr. w ith 67 years.
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
January, 2026
PAGE 27
Two-Vehicle Head-On Collision in Harford Results in Minor Injuries HARFORD, NY - On O cto ber 8th at approximately 11:17 a.m., the Harford Fire Depart ment and EM S were dispatched to a serious two-car head-on motor vehicle accident with en trapment on the far east side o f their district. Upon notifica tion, C h ief 462 re quested mutual aid from the Marathon Fire Department with a heavy rescue unit and an engine, as w ell as Dryden Fire (Neptune H ose Co. #1 o f Dryden, Inc.) and Dryden Ambu lance, Inc., both responding with heavy rescue resources. Three patients were extricated by Marathon Fire personnel. For tunately, all injuries were re ported to be minor. Also assisting at the scene were Dryden Ambu lance, Marathon Ambulance, the Cortland County Sheriff’ s Office, R on ’ s Towing, and the Cortland County 911 Center. The Harford Fire Department extended their appreciation to all agencies involved for their prompt assistance. -C O U R T ESY OF HA R FO RD F IR E DEPT. HARFORD FIRE DEPT.
HARFORD FIRE DEPT.
Port Jervis Fire Department Fire Company Location of Free Rabies Vaccine C linic PORT JERVIS, NY - Port Jervis Fire Department’ s Howard Wheat Engine Co. No. 4 was the scene o f a safety event recently. It w asn’ t a firefighter training ses sion, but rather a free rabies vac cination clinic to help keep pets and the community safe. Firefighters from Engine 4 and PJFD Fire Police were on hand at the Owen Street firehouse to help keep things running smoothy. Seventy-three dogs and 13 cats received their required ra bies vaccine, com pletely free-ofcharge. Funding for supplies was pro vided through Orange County, NY. The clinic was administered by county volunteers. Town o f Deerpark and Port Jervis Animal Control O fficers G eorge D ebolt
TO fiie #110525139
3#
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and Jeff Ewing, PJFD firefighters Jeff Ew ing and Stan Siegel, and Dr. Jessica Saltalamacchia and staff members o f Tri-State Veteri nary Hospital. The rabies vaccine clinic is held at various times each year, and is always w ell attended. At times, attendance has been well over 200. Pet owners who brought their pets to this clinic expressed their appreciation for the afford able means o f protecting their pets, and the convenience o f hav ing it hosted locally at H ose 4. Great job, everyone! - SHARON S IE G E L
SHAROH E. SIEGEL Town of Deerpark and Port J e rvis A nim al C ontrol O fficers George Debolt and Jeff Ew ing assisted in keeping th in g s m oving sm oothly for the nearly 100 lo cal re side n ts w ho brought th e ir pets, in c lu d in g t h is gro up of se rvice dogs, for rabies vaccination in October.
January, 2026
PAGE 28
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
The Firehouses of Albany ON THE BOOK SHELF by John Malecky
The Firehouses o f Albany By Anthony Opalka Available from: FSP Books 433 Main Street, Suite 2A Hudson, M AO 1749 1-800-522-8528 Email: support@fire-policeems.com www.fire-police-ems.com Price: $40.00 This is a hard cover book measuring nine inches by eleven inches, with 209 pages. After the Preface, Acknowledgem ents and Introduction, there are four parts including the appendix. They are the Volunteer Period, the Profes sional Period and Architects and Architecture o f the Albany Fire Department. The author has a co l orful background surrounded mostly by urban development, ar
chitectural styles and building types. For more than 30 years he has been em ployed by the N ew York State Historical Preservation Office. In 2008 he was appointed Albany City Historian. As we probably all know, Albany is the capital o f N ew York State. The b ook is intense, detailed and I could tell a labor o f love. In each part it delves deep into the histo ries o f each o f the companies. There are numerous photos, draw ings, diagrams, portraits and tables to name a few, that help make this book such a treasure for those who have an interest in histories. A c cording to the latest stats, Albany has as their major apparatus eight engine companies, four ladder companies and a heavy rescue. It even has over 25 pages o f the dif ferent architects plus pictures o f firehouses without known archi tects. One note is that I remember many years ago watching a docu mentary on television about differ ent fire departments and in it Albany had a fire ch ief that was 92-years-old. There was a picture o f him at a fire standing with a cane. This publication is o f a size that it could qualify as a “coffee table book.”
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ADAMS FIRE DEPARTMENT
Wrong Way Driver Causes Accident on Interstate 81 in Adams ADAMS, NY — At 8:41 p.m. on Saturday, N ovem ber 8th, the Adams Fire Department and South Jefferson Rescue Squad were dis patched by the Jefferson County 911 Center to Interstate 81 North bound at Exit 41 in the Village o f Adams for a multi-vehicle rollover traffic incident with injuries. Crews arrived to find multiple vehicles involved, including one vehicle in the median that ap peared to have rolled over several times. Two occupants were trapped inside that vehicle, and other vehicles were blocking the northbound lanes. Interstate 81
Jump to file #111725154
du? Northbound was closed for nearly two hours. An additional Advanced Life Support ambulance and a Life Net helicopter were requested to the scene. Crews successfully extri cated the two occupants from the overturned vehicle. One patient was transported by ambulance, and the other was transported via Life Net to a hospital in Syracuse. A ccording to reports, a motor home tow ing another vehicle en
tered the northbound entrance ramp, then turned left, heading south in the northbound lane, and collided with a northbound vehicle in the passing lane. Responding units included Adams Chiefs 1-0-1 and 1-0-3, Engines 1-4-1 and 1-4-2, Rescue 1-6-1, Squad 1-7-2, South Jeffer son Rescue, Town o f Watertown Ambulances, Life Net 7-10, the Jefferson County S h eriff’ s Office, and the N ew York State Police. Adams Fire returned to service around 10:20 p.m. - R O B ER T SIM PSON
ROR MCCORMICK
HINSDALE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT. F ifteen H in s d a le V olunteer F ire D epartm ent m em bers p a rt ic i pated in a liv e v e h ic le - fire tra in in g s e s s io n at the C lay F ire De partm ent's t ra in in g tower. P a rtic ip a n ts in the d r ill had the o p p o rtu n ity to p ractice sa fe ly p u ttin g out a car fire and p ractice the best ap p roa ches to take in the event of one. D u rin g the ex ercise , crew s review ed key ta c tic s in c lu d in g p o s itio n in g of the apparatus, e s ta b lis h in g safe zones, and d e p lo y in g hose stream s in a c o n tro lle d e nvironm en t. T he departm ent s a id the tra in in g su p p o rts o n g o in g efforts to keep fire fig h tin g s k ills cu rren t and to im pro ve safety and perform ance d u rin g v e h ic le fire in c id e n ts.
City of Newburgh Swears In New Fire Chief NEW BURGH, NY — On Monday, October 2th7, d u rin g the re g u lar C ity of New burgh C o u n c il meeting, Paul P u lla r was sw orn in as Fire C hief of the C ity of Newburgh Fire Department. Mayor Harvey ad m in iste re d the oath, and the rest of the C ity C o u n c il jo in e d in co n g ratulating C hief Pullar. Mayor Harvey then in v ite d a ll fire fig h te rs to come forw ard for photos. P u lla r replaces F.J. S p in e lli, who re sig ne d from the position . F o llo w in g the ceremony, the C o u n c il proceeded w ith the rem ainder of its meeting.
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
January, 2026
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DRILLS/TRAINING I f y o u have photos you w ou ld like to see in our Drills feature, please upload them on our w ebsite w w w .lstR esponderN ew s.com or email them to L ind sey@ lstR espond erN ew s.com .
Safety First: C onducting T raffic Control W hen firs t re s p o n d e rs b id fa rew ell to each other (even in everyday greetings) a common p hra se we use is “ stay safe” . S in ce we a ll know that som e of th e outcom es b e in g a firs t re s p o n d e r can be neg a tive t h is phra se is s im p ly w is h in g each other “ safety” w h ile d o in g the job. It is a lso a re m in de r to em p lo y ta c tic s and stra teg ie s on scene that w ill keep everyone safe. A lth o u g h not th e o n ly firs t re s p o n d e rs to em ploy b lo c k in g te c h n iq u e s to create a safe w o rkin g zone s u c h as law e nforcem ent and EMS, fire fig h te rs p la y a s ig n ific a n t ro le in c o n d u c tin g tra ffic c o n trol. F ire apparatus is often used to b lo c k tra ffic d u e to th e large size and h ig h v is ib ilit y , in c lu d in g lig h ts on the rear and s id e of the v e h ic le . Even if fire ap paratus is n ’t the firs t on scene they are often used to replace s m a lle r u n its su c h as law en fo rcem ent and/or an am bu lance. The reason b e in g that a la rg e r and h e a v ie r appara tus can w ithsta nd another v e h ic le c ra s h in g in to it w ith o u t com p ro m is in g th e created safety zone b e h in d it for other firs t re sponders. One key elem en t to in c re a se
the effectiveness of an appara tu s b lo c k in g tra ffic are u s in g cones. T hese d e v ic e s have several p o s itiv e effects in c lu d in g e x te n d in g a safety zone, w arn in g o n co m in g tra ffic w ell in advance and c o lla p s in g and re d u c in g tra ffic in speed and d riv a b le lanes. C ones s h o u ld be p la c e d at a d is ta n c e be tween tha t is c o n s is te n t w ith the speed of the roadway. They s h o u ld a ls o be p la c e d at an a n g le tha t as m e n tio n e d re du ce s the roadway and d ire c ts tra ffic away from an em er gency scene. A rg u a b ly one of the m ost d if f i c u lt asp e c ts of tra ffic c o n tro l is n ’t the actual act of d ire c tin g traffic but rather b a la n c in g p r i o r itie s betw een th e d iffe re n t firs t re s p o n d e r fa ctio n s. T h is is not to say that the p rio ritie s of one su p e rs e d e o r tha t a ll firs t re s p o n d e r types d o n ’t have th e sam e concerns; that safety is the num ber one p rio r ity. That s a id , EMTs are g o in g to be m ore fo cu se d on patient care w h ile law e nforcem ent may be m ore fo c u se d on a l lo w in g traffic to flow (if an ac c id e n t o c c u rs d u rin g ru sh hour). A d d in g in tha t any fire s e rv ic e s p re se nt may be fo c u se d on any hazm at is s u e s su c h as fu e l le aks and the real
PROVIDED Traffic control conducted at a MVA in v o lv in g a state trooper, just south of the twin b ridg e s on the 1-87 northway, in J uly 2020. The trooper su rv iv e d after b e in g h it by a d ru n k d riv e r in a rented Penske truck.
or p o te n tia l fo r a v e h ic le fire. The tric k is to a lig n as many p rio rit ie s as necessary and/or p o s s ib le w ith o u t c o m p ro m is in g firs t re spo n de r safety. The key to any o v e rla p p in g p r i o r itie s is not p u ttin g y o u r d e partm ent in a c o m p ro m is in g p o s itio n from the start. Part of tha t lie s on fire o ffic e r kn o w l edge of the d is tric t they serve. At any g iv e n traffic scene, it is up to an o ffic er to place appa ratus at a p p ro p ria te lo c a tio n s to a llo w and rero ute tra ffic to get arou nd an a c c id e n t scene. C lea rly, t h is is not alw ays p o s s ib le but know ing y o u r d is tric t w ill increase safety w h ile at the same tim e a llo w traffic to flow w ith m in im a l d is ru p tio n . The bottom lin e the fewer v e h ic le s tha t go th ro u g h an a c c id e n t scene the safer that scene w ill be. W h ile som e in c o n v e n ie n c e is b o u n d to h a p pe n, I ’ m not g o in g out on a lim b by sa yin g “ too b a d ” to the d riv e r b u r den ed by h a v in g to take a s lig h t ly lo n g e r route to get th e ir fa v o rite cu p of Joe. In my e x p e rie n c e th o u g h th e vast m ajo rity of p e o p le have th e ir p rio ritie s s tra ig h t and w illin g ly cooperate w ith any traffic c o n tro l efforts. However, it d o e s n ’t take lo n g fo r p a tie n ts to run t h in and everyone to start h o n k in g and g e ttin g o u t of control. It is im p e ra tive then to keep the situ a tio n u n d er w raps from the m om ent you arrive. One other way to m in im iz e any tra ffic flow is s u e s th u s in c re a s in g safety is to le t any tra ffic c o n tro l d e v ic e do the w ork fo r you. If fire fig h te rs d i rect traffic contrary to a traffic lig h t as an exam ple it w ill c o n fuse d riv e rs re s u ltin g in a very q u ic k dow nw ard s p ir a l in c o o p e ratio n between tra ffic c o n tro l and the p u b lic . Let’s face it tra ffic c o n tro l is n ’t exactly a g lo ry d e ta il but it do es re q u ire a c o n s id e ra b le am o unt of fo c u s w ith any la p se in ju d g m ent or p la n n e d strategy p o te n tia lly re s u ltin g in firs t responders getting injured. Be cause of th e s u s ta in e d fo cu s and the fact that a g iv e n traffic a c c id e n t may re q u ire several h o u rs of p e rso n n e l it is ne ce s sary and im p e ra tiv e tha t o ffi ce rs e s ta b lis h a ro ta tio n of fire fig h te rs to d ire c t tra ffic m a kin g su re tha t a p p ro p ria te
THOMAS MARRA
A car fire in Delmar. Traffic control was an is su e on a busy stretch of highway, so an apparatus was used to b lo ck the roadway.
P P E is worn in acco rda nce w ith departm ent SOPs. As w ith a ll fire sce n e s good co m m unicatio n is a must. Mak in g su re that a ll p e rso n n e l have a ra d io (if w o rkin g in p a irs at least one has a radio) w ill a llo w better tra ffic m an agem ent. T h is is e s p e c ia lly tru e w hen a roadway becom es p a rtia lly s h u t dow n and re du ce d to one-way traffic. Hand s ig n a ls can w ork but m ost of th e tim e fire fig h te rs on tra ffic duty cannot see each other. In a d d itio n to apparatus p la c e m ent and kn o w le d ge of y o u r d is tric t it is a ls o im porta nt for an o ffic er to know the p e rso n nel a v a ila b le . Som e d e p a rt m ents have a d e d ic a te d u n it c a lle d “ F ire P o lic e ” tha t often d r ill on th e ir own and have ex te n s iv e kn o w le d g e of a g iv e n d is tric t. F ire P o lic e can th u s a d v ise an o ffic e r on best prac tic e s fo r b lo c k in g and tra ffic c o n tro l often d e p lo y in g th e ir own traffic control de v ic e s and equ ipm e nt. T h is lin k show s a num ber of b lo c k in g te ch n iq u e s
tha t can be u tiliz e d in v a rio u s situ a tio n s, https ://youtu. be/M u 5wUlmo1 Ow?si=FZ3M1099ma Q759nw In a d d itio n to b e in g d ire c tly in v o lv e d in tra ffic c o n tro l and b lo c k in g fire fig h te rs can a ls o do so preem ptively. W orking w ith p a rk in g enforcem ent to m in im iz e in c id e n ts of b lo c k in g fire h y d ra n ts and fire la n es fire fig h te rs can set the stage fo r c le a r and safe w o rkin g areas by e n s u rin g that both of the se zones are ready to go. In s p ite of th e fact tha t the re are lite ra lly h u n d re d s of SOPs tha t a d d re s s b lo c k in g s itu a tio n s across the country there is one u n iv e rs a l truth. The fact tha t at any g iv e n scene the re w ill be som eone tha t w ill ig nore, “ not se e ” (all the fla s h in g lig h ts ) or t h in k the s itu a tio n d o e s n ’t a p p ly to them and w ill try and go th ro u g h or around a ll the appara tus, p e rso n n e l and o th e r tra ffic c o n tro l d e v ices. Stay Safe everyone. - JO SEPH CEA
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January, 2026
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
MEMORIAL BOARD I f you r departm ent has ph otos y o u w ou ld like to se e in our “M em orial Board”feature please u pload them on our w ebsite w w w .lR B N .com or em ail them to L in d sey @ lstR esp on d erN ew s.co m
CHAUTAUQUA FIRE DEPARTMENT
YORKVILLE FIRE & HOSE COMPANY
NEW
YORK
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CHAUTAUQUA FIRE DEPARTMENT
YORKVILLE FIRE & HOSE COMPANY C h ie f N ic k M orosco of the Y o rk v ille F ire & Hose C om pany w as am ong 126 fire fig h te rs h o n o re d Tuesday, O ctober 7th, at th e 28th A n n u a l New York State F a lle n F ire fig h te rs Memo r ia l C erem o ny at th e E m p ire State Plaza in Albany. C h ie f M o ro sco ’s nam e was a d d e d to th e m e m o ria l w all, jo in in g th o se w ho m ade the u l tim a te s a c rific e in th e lin e of duty. M embers of the Y o rkv ille , W hite s b o ro , New York M ills , W illo w v a le , an d U tica F ire De
p artm ents attended th e c e re m ony a lo n g s id e th e M orosco fa m ily to h o n o r a n d rem em ber h is se rv ic e . A ls o re c o g n iz e d d u rin g the cerem ony were C hief R u s s e ll B ro o ks of the Utica Fire D epartm ent an d F ire fig h te r Larry Z e ig le r of th e B o o n v ille F ire Department.
a n d th e O ffice of F ire P re ve n tio n an d C o ntro l for o rg a n iz in g the m e a n in g fu l tribute.
Y o rk v ille F ire e x p re s s e d de e p a p p re c ia tio n to C h ie f G e o rg e M assarotti of New York State F ire for s e rv in g as lia is o n , and to the D iv is io n of H o m eland Se c u rity a n d E m ergency S e rv ice s
“ C h ie f M oro sco’s le g a c y of le a d e rs h ip , coura ge, an d se rv ic e w ill never be fo rg o tten ,” the departm ent s a id in a statement.
L o c a l o ffic ia ls , in c lu d in g A s sem blyw o m an M arianne Butte n s c h o n an d S enator Joe G riffo, were a ls o in attendance to pay th e ir respects.
Chautauqua F ire fig h te rs Lead M ulti-Agency Response to Manor Drive Blaze CHAUTAUQUA, NY - T he C ha u ta u q u a F ire D epartm ent, lo cated at 2 R o yal Way, re s p o n d e d Friday, O ctober 20th, to a s tru c tu re fire o n M anor D riv e after fla m e s from a garage sp re a d to an attached hom e an d s u rro u n d in g trees. U pon ar riv a l, crew s fo u n d heavy fire e x te n d in g upw ard, p ro m p tin g b oth in te rio r an d e x te rio r o p e ra tio n s. A draft s ite was e stab lis h e d at th e P re n de rg a st boat la u n c h , w here fire fig h te rs set u p a p o rta b le p o n d to m a in ta in a c o n tin u o u s water s u p p ly th ro u g h tan ker s h u ttle s. F ire p o lic e m anaged road c lo s u re s , e n s u rin g safe a cce ss for a ll re s p o n d in g u nits.
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OCEANSIDE NY FIRE DEPARTMENT O C EA N S ID E, NY - A reported b u ild in g fire on Lo ng B each Road c lo s e to W aukena A venue prom pted th e O c e a n sid e F ire Departm ent to re s p o n d on Saturday afternoon, O ctober 21st. F irs t to a rriv e , 3rd A s sis ta n t C h ie f S parb erg sent out a S ig n a l 10 fo r a w o rk in g fire that w as h e a v ily in v o lv in g a one-story taxpayer b u ild in g . - See full story on Page 34
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CORPORATE INFORMATION 1st Responder N ew s (ISSN 1525-1683) - New York edition - Vol. 28 No. 1 - is published monthly, 12 times a year for $48 per year by Belsito Communications, Inc., 1 Ardmore Street, N ew Windsor, NY 12553. Pe riodicals Postage Paid at Newburgh, NY and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to 1st Responder News, 1Ardmore Street, New Windsor, NY 12553. N o financial responsibility is assumed by this newspaper to publish a display, classified, or legal ad or for t y p o graphical errors ex cept of reprinting that part o f the ad which was omitted or in error. Om issions or errors must be brought to the at tention o f the newspaper during the same month o f publication. Printed in Canada.
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A dditional PAUSTINFIREPHOTOS
news from Long Island can be found on our website at www.1rbn.com
Fully Involved Tractor-Trailer Fire in Coram CO RAM , NY - On D e ce m b e r 10th, th e C oram F ire D e p a rt m ent w as a c tiv a te d fo r a re p o rte d o u ts id e fire o n M ill Rd. 56-32 a rriv e d o n sc e n e a n d fo u n d a f u lly in v o lv e d tractor-trailer. E n g in e 12 a n d L a d d e r 1 a rriv e d on sc e n e an d sta rte d e x t in g u is h in g th e fire . 5-6-32 th e n re q u e s te d Y a phan k fo r th e ir tanker. Y aphank's ta n ke r a rriv e d o n sc e n e an d h e lp e d w ith w ater su p p ly . T he sc e n e w as p la c e d u n d e r c o n tro l w ith in 1 hour.
MALVERNE FIRE DEPARTMENT
Malverne Firefighters Knock Down Two-Garage Fire M ALVERNE, NY - The M alverne F ire D epartm ent re s p o n d e d at 3:50 p.m. o n O ctob er 27th to a fire o n W olf A venue in v o lv in g two g a ra g e s f u lly in v o lv e d w ith e x p o s u re c o n c e rn s to nea rb y hom es. C h ie f B u o n o m o tra n s m itte d a S ig n a l 10, b rin g in g a d d itio n a l re s o u rc e s to the scene. M alverne crew s, a lo n g w ith m u tu a l a id from Lakeview , Ly n b ro o k, V a lle y Stream , E lm o n t, R o c k v ille C en tre, a n d F ra n k lin S qua re, w orke d to c o n ta in th e fire an d preven t e x te n s io n to th e a d jacent houses. The fire w as b ro u g h t u n d e r co n tro l, an d o ver h a u l o p e ra tio n s w ere com pleted. No in ju rie s w ere reported.
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
January, 2026
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LONG ISLA DRILLS/TRAINING To see your Drills in the newspaper upload them on our website www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com
PAUSTINFIREPHOTOS CITY OF LONG BEACH NEW YORK F IR E DEPARTMENT
M embers of the C ity of Lo ng B each New York F ire Departm ent re ce n tly tra in e d at the departm ent’s t ra in in g center. The s e s s io n fo cu se d on m a in ta in in g co re s k ills , p ra c tic in g e q u ip m e n t use, and re in fo rc in g team w ork to e n s u re p re p a re d n e s s fo r a v a rie ty of em ergency respon ses. T he departm ent tha n ke d its m em bers for c o m m ittin g th e ir tim e to o n g o in g tra in in g , n o tin g that c o n siste n t p ra ctice re m ains e s s e n tia l to safe and effective o perations.
liA U W M IB E
PAUSTINFIREPHOTOS
House Fire for Smithtown SMITHTOWN, NY - On Sunday, Novem ber 9th, th e S m ithto w n F ire Departm ent was a le rte d for a reported h o u se fire. On a rriv a l of S m ithto w n 30, he fo u n d a car fire w ith e x te n sio n to the garage and se c o n d floor. Sm ithto w n e n g in e s a rriv e d on sce n e an d stre tch e d lin e s . S m ithto w n Tower La d d e r 7 a rriv e d on s c e n e an d started se a rc h e s an d roof o p e ra tio n s . M utual a id a rriv e d on sce n e an d h e lp e d w ith e x tin g u is h in g a ll fire an d o ve rhau l. T he sce n e was p la c e d u n d e r c o n tro l w ith in 2 hours. EAST ROCKAWAY F IR E DEPARTMENT
T he East Rockaw ay F ire D epartm ent D iv e Team to o k part in the Is lip Town 2025 S a y v ille Ferry Mass C asu a lty In c id e n t Fu ll-S c ale E x e rc is e , h o ste d by th e C o m m u n ity A m b u la n c e C om pany and S a y v ille F ire D epartm ent. T he d r ill s im u la te d a ferry em ergency w ith m u ltip le p a tie n ts o n b oard and in th e water. East Rockaw ay’s D ive Team se rve d as the Safety D ive Unit, ready to re s p o n d to any real e m e rg e n cies d u rin g th e exercise. T he event b ro u g h t together fire , EMS, an d law enforcem ent a g e n c ie s to stre n g th e n c o o rd in a tio n and re g io n a l preparedness.
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January, 2026
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1st Responder Newspaper - NY
LONG ISLA Oceanside Firefighters Contain Multi-Store Fire on Long Beach Road OCEANSIDE, NY - A re ported building fire on Long Beach Road close to Waukena Avenue prompted the Oceanside Fire D e partment to respond on Saturday afternoon, October 21st. First to arrive, 3rd Assistant Chief Sparberg sent out a Signal 10 for a working fire that was heavily involv ing a one-story tax payer building. First to arrive were Tower Ladder 244 and En gine 246; they stretched lines and started a fire at tack. A second alarm was re quested because o f the building's age, the fire conditions, and the ad dition o f the cockloft. Additionally, crews discovered an extension into a nearby business and attempted to stop the spread. Five hoselines were put into operation, and Tower Ladder 244 along with Long Beach Tower Ladder 2372 briefly used large-cal iber streams to knock down the fire before interior crews re-entered to complete extinguishment. Two ad ditional stores sustained smoke damage but did not experience fire extension. Mutual aid companies from the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 7th bat talions assisted on scene and pro vided district coverage. All operations were under the com mand o f Chief o f Department Sean Costigan with Assistant Chiefs Lynch, Klein, and Sparberg. No in juries were reported.
OCEANSIDE NY F IR E DEPARTMENT
- COURTESY OF OCEANS ID E NY F IR E DEPT.
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1st Responder Newspaper - NY
January, 2026
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HEMPSTEAD VOLUNTEER F IR E DEPT
PAUSTINFIREPHOTOS
Hempstead Firefighters Contain Morrell Street House Fire H E M P S T E A D , NY - T he H e m p ste a d V o lu n te e r F ire D ep art m ent re s p o n d e d to a h o u s e fire on M o rre ll Street, O cto b e r 16th, w here crew s a rriv e d to fin d heavy fire s h o w in g from the u p p e r flo o r of the re s id e n c e . E n g in e and la d d e r c o m p a n ie s a d v ance d lin e s , o p e n e d u p the stru c tu re , and w o rke d to stop e x te n s io n in to the attic. A ll o c c u p a n ts w ere a c c o u n te d for, an d there w ere no re p o rte d in ju rie s to re s id e n ts o r fire fig h t ers. M utual-aid co m p a n ie s p ro v id e d a s sista n c e and coverage w h ile o p e ra tio n s to o k p la ce . T he c a u s e of the fire re m a in s u n d e r in v e s tig a tio n .
PAUSTINFIREPHOTOS
ELMONT F IR E DEPARTMENT
Elmont Fire Department Knocks Down Midday Dwelling Fire PAUSTINFIREPHOTOS
ELMONT, NY - J u s t after n o o n on N ovem ber 1st, the E lm o n t F ire D epartm ent was d is p a tc h e d to 868 B auer Street for a re port of sm o ke from a p riv a te d w e llin g . On a rriv a l of E n g in e 7010, com m and c o n firm e d fire in the w a lls on the firs t flo o r w ith e x te n s io n in to the attic. A w o rk in g fire w as tra n sm itte d u n d e r the co m m an d of C h ie f S egovia . C rew s o p e n e d w a lls and c e ilin g s to a cce ss h id d e n fire an d prevent fu rthe r spread. T he in c id e n t w as b ro u g h t u n d e r c o n tro l after a c o o rd in a te d in t e r io r attack an d v e n t ila t io n effort. No in ju r ie s w ere re ported, an d the ca u se re m a in s u n d e r in v e s tig a tio n .
Commercial Structure Fire for Smithtown SMITHTOWN, NY - On Sunday, N ovem ber 9th, the S m ithto w n F ire D epartm ent w as activa te d for a re p o rte d c o m m e rc ia l stru c tu re fire. On a rriv a l of 4-2-30, he had heavy fire s h o w in g from M avis T ire S hop. Sm ithtow n's e n g in e s and tower la d d e r a lo n g w ith m utual a id a rriv e d on sce n e and started e x t in g u is h in g the fire; then, 30 p u lle d e veryone o u t of the b u ild in g an d started e x te rio r o p e ra tio n s . T he fire w as p la c e d u n d e r c o n tro l w ith in 3 hours.
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1st Responder Newspaper - NY
LONG ISLAN eT
PAUSTINFIREPHOTOS
Working House Fire in Nesconset NESCONSET, NY - On Thursday, Novem ber 27th, the N escon set F ire Departm ent was activa ted fo r a re p o rte d h o u se fire on M ayfair Rd. 4-4-31 a rriv e d on sc e n e an d had heavy fire sh o w in g from the s e c o n d flo o r and c a lle d a w o rk in g fire. E n g in e 2 a rriv e d o n s c e n e an d sta rted e x t in g u is h in g th e fire. Truck crew s a ls o a rriv e d on sc e n e an d started s e a rc he s that w ere negative. O nce a ll th e fire w as k n o c ke d dow n, crew s started o v e rh a u l a n d th e s c e n e was p la c e d u n d e r c o n tro l w ith in 1 hour.
NORTH M E R RIC K F IR E DEPARTMENT
North Merrick FD Responds to Multi-Vehicle Crash on Southern State Parkway NORTH M ER R IC K , NY - A m u lti- v e h ic le c o llis io n on the S o u the rn State Parkw ay at E x it 23 was attended by the North M errick F ire D epartm ent on S u nd ay e v en in g , O ctober 26th. In o rd e r to evaluate th e sce n e and se c u re hazards, the e xit ram p w as te m p o ra rily b lo cke d. N um erous pa tie n ts w ere a s s e s s e d o n th e spot, an d o n e w as taken to a nea rb y h o s p ita l. U n til tra ffic was sa fe ly re op e ne d an d the road was cleared, the departm ent stayed on th e scene.
PATCH OF THE MONTH If you have photos you would like to see in our “Patch o f the month “feature please upload them on our website, www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com .
FREEPORT F IR E DEPARTMENT
Freeport Firefighters Rescue Four from Early-Morning Apartment Fire
PATRICK D’ ONOFRIO
T h is patch b e lo n g s to the West S a y v ille F ire Departm ent, located in S u ffo lk County, NY.
FR EEPO R T , NY - At 5:47 a.m. on O ctober 22nd, the Freeport F ire Departm ent w as d is p a tc h e d to a reported b u ild in g fire in th e area of G ra n d Avenue an d N orth Main Street. F irst-a rriv in g u n its fo u n d an o c c u p ie d m u ltip le d w e llin g on Jay Street w ith heavy sm oke and fire show in g . C h ie f of Departm ent A n thon y S o tira tra n sm itte d a w o rk in g fire and co n firm e d tra p p e d o c c u pants. F ire fig h te rs, jo in e d by m utual-aid partners, re scu e d fo u r o ccu p a n ts from th e b u ild in g . A ll su ffe re d sm o ke in h a la tio n an d b u rn s — thre e w ith s e rio u s in ju rie s an d one in c ritic a l c o n d itio n . N orthw ell H ealth EMS tra n sp o rte d the p atie nts to Nassau U n iv e rs ity M edical Center.
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
January, 2026
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Long Island Metro
FIRE/EMS EXPO
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January 30 - February 1,2026 Nassau Coliseum |Uniondale, NY Three days of exhibits and education on Long Island for fire/EMS personnel of a ll ranks. Tickets: $25 per person/day! Hosted by and to benefit Islip Town Fire/EMS Museum Educational Center & NYSAFC
www. nysfi rec h iefs.co m/liex po
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January, 2026
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
2025 Lt. Joey D M em orial T raining Sem inar Stops on Long Isla n d SUFFOLK, NY - On Friday, November 7th and Saturday, N o vember 8th, the Lt. Joseph P. DiBemardo Memorial Foundation hosted its annual hands-on training seminar at the Suffolk County Fire Academy. The seminar offers 20 different hands-on training for fire suppres sion operations and technical res cue operations. This training is a way for firefighters around the country to receive top o f the line training from the most experi enced instructors around the coun try to ensure that each firefighter has the proper personal safety de-
JUMP TO FILE #110925110
vice. The training was established in memory o f Lt. Joseph P. DiBernardo who was assigned to FDNY Rescue 3. Joey sustained life-altering injuries during a fire incident known as “ Black Sunday” in 2005. FTis injuries took a toll on his body and Joey passed away in
2011. - B R A D L EY FOW LER
BRADLEY F0WLER/FIRE GUY PHOTOGRAPHY
BRADLEY F0WLER/FIRE GUY PHOTOGRAPHY
BRADLEY F0WLER/FIRE GUY PHOTOGRAPHY
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
T r u l y a n o t h e r g a m e c h a n g e r . W e ’v e t a k e n t h e A s c e n d a n t
January, 2026
s i n g l e r e a r a x l e q u i n t c o n f i g u r a t i o n , a n d m a d e it e v e n b e t t e r w i t h t h e a d d i t i o n
o f a p l a t f o r m b a s k e t . I m a g i n e t h a t . .. f o r t h o s e o f y o u w h o w o u l d r a t h e r r i d e t h a n c l i m b , o r t h o s e w h o w o u l d n e v e r e v e n c o n s i d e r a h e a v y , t a n d e m a x l e a e r i a l p l a t f o r m - t h e A s c e n d a n t h e a v y - d u t y a e r i a l p l a t f o r m i s y o u r s o l u t i o n ! T h i s c o n f i g u r a t i o n w i l l p r o v i d e y o u 110' ( 3 3.5m ) o f v e r t i c a l r e a c h a n d 90' ( 2 7.4m ) o f h o r i z o n t a l r e a c h w i t h o u t c o m p r o m i s i n g
o n w a t e r c a p a c i t y , p e r f o r m a n c e , o r s a f e t y . Y o u ’ ll h a v e a
m a n e u v e r a b le , f irs t o u t q u i n t w it h f u ll r e s c u e c a p a b ilit ie s . T h e A s c e n d a n t p l a t f o r m i n c l u d e s a 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 p s i h i g h - s t r e n g t h s t e e l l a d d e r w i t h a f u l l y N F P A c o m p l i a n t , e r g o n o m i c a l l y d e s i g n e d 3 - p e r s o n b a s k e t . T h e A s c e n d a n t p l a t f o r m i s r a t e d t o a 35 m p h (56 k m / h ) w i n d a n d 1/4" ( 0 . 6 4 c m ) o f i c e l o a d . It c a n a c c o m m o d a t e 100 l b ( 4 5 .4 k g ) o f a d d i t i o n a l e q u i p m e n t , a n d f l o w 1 ,2 5 0 g p m (4,732 L/m) f r o m a s i n g l e m o n i t o r l o c a t e d a t t h e e n d o f t h e f l y s e c t i o n . F o r t h o s e o f y o u t h a t w a n t m o r e t h a n j u s t a la d d e r y e t d e s ir e a s m a lle r , lig h t e r w e ig h t p la t f o r m b a s k e t w it h lo w e r a c q u is it io n c o s t s a n d le s s c o s t o f o w n e r s h ip , t h e A s c e n d a n t p la t f o r m is id e a l f o r y o u . T h e A s c e n d a n t h e a v y - d u t y a e r ia l p la tfo rm
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January, 2026
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1st Responder Newspaper - NY
PATCH OF THE MONTH If you have photos you would like to see in our “Patch o f the month “feature please upload them on our website, www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com .
NEW YORK CITY F IR E DEPARTMENT (FDNY)
FDNY EMS Academy Welcomes F am ilies for Training Showcase EUGENE W EBER JR.
NEW YO RK, NY - In October, the New York C ity F ire Departm ent (FDNY) hosted Fam ily Day at the EMS Academ y in Fort Totten, w here p robationary EMTs w elcom ed fa m ilie s and frie n d s fo r a lo o k in to th e ir 13 weeks of training . V is ito rs observed dem onstra tions of life-saving te chn iq ue s, e q u ip ment use, and team work that de fin e the FDNY’s E m ergency M edical S e rvice s program . The event allo w e d re c ru its to show case the s k ills they have de v e lo pe d w h ile offering fa m ilie s a better u n d e rsta n d in g of the c h a lle n g e s and d e d ic a tio n re q u ire d in em ergency response.
T h is p a tch b e lo n g s to th e FDNY E n g in e 257, lo ca te d in K in g s County, NY.
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1st Responder Newspaper - NY
January, 2026
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NEW YORK CITY F IR E DEPARTMENT (FDNY)
DAVID RURNS/@FD4D
NEW YORK CITY F IR E DEPARTMENT (FDNY)
DAVID RURNS/@FD4D
NEW YORK CITY F IR E DEPARTMENT (FDNY)
FDNY Hosts First EMS Instructor Conference at Fort Totten NEW Y O R K , NY - The New York C ity F ire Departm ent (FDNY) h e ld its first-ever EMS C e rtifie d In s tru c to r U pdate C onference at the FDNY EMS A cadem y in Fort Totten, O ctober 9th. Nearly 200 in s tru c to rs from a c ro ss the departm ent attended the in a u g u ra l event, w h ic h fo c u se d on e n h a n c in g in s tru c tio n a l m eth o d s an d in te g ra tin g m odern te c h n o lo g y in to EMS tra in in g . T he con feren ce featured p re se n ta tio n s from n a tio n a l v e n d o rs and m anufacturers w ho show cased both cu rre n t tra in in g to o ls and new te c h n o lo g y d e s ig n e d to im p ro ve sim u la tio n -b a se d le a rn ing. A tten de e s re ce iv e d hands-on e x p o su re to e v o lv in g in s tru c tio n a l e q u ip m e n t an d d is c u s s e d how th e se t o o ls can better prepare EMTs an d p a ra m e d ic s fo r real-w orld sc e n ario s.
DAVID RURNS/@FD4D
Third Alarm in Greenpoint B RO O K LY N , NY - F ire fig h te rs re s p o n d e d on N ovem ber 9th to H u ro n & M anhattan fo r a threeala rm fire in a three -sto ry o c c u p ie d m u ltip le d w e llin g w ith o c c u p ie d re s id e n ts above.
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January, 2026
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
FDNY
FDNY FF Brady
NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT (FDNY)
FDNY Responds to Brooklyn Fire; Three Firefighters Injured in Collapse DAVID DURSN/@FD4D
FDNY 1st Deputy C o m m issio n e r Mark G uerra b rie fs the gathered media.
FDNY Firefighter Patrick Brady Dies Battling All-Hands Blaze in Brooklyn BROOKLYN, NY - Mayor Eric Adams and FDNY C om m is sioner Robert S. Tucker announced the line o f duty death o f Firefighter Patrick D. Brady, 42, an 11-year veteran o f the Department. On Sat urday, November 8th, Firefighter Brady was operating on the roof o f an all-hands fire at 9407 Kings Highway in Brooklyn when he suf fered a medical episode and went into cardiac arrest. Firefighter Brady was immediately treated by fellow FDNY Firefighters and FDNY EMS. He was rushed to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, where he died. “ Firefighter Patrick Brady gave his life protecting the city we all love; there is no sacrifice that is more selfless than the actions that took place this evening,”said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
NEW YORK, NY - The FDNY responded at 5:47 p.m. Friday, October 10th, to a reported fire at 771 W illia m s Avenue in Brooklyn. U nits arrived w ith in three and a half m inutes and transm itted a 10-75 for a w orking fire in a private dw elling. Crews began su p pre ssio n and search operations, q u ic k ly g a in in g control of the flames. About 14 m inutes into the incident, a structural c o lla p se occurred in the rear of the b u ild in g , tra p p in g two fire fig h te rs beneath debris.
VEHICLE NEWS
Jump to file #110925112
m “ Firefighter Brady came from a family o f firefighters — all dedi cated to protecting the lives o f their fellow New Yorkers. I would like to express my deepest sympathy to his wife, Kara, and his entire family during this difficult time.” “The entire FDNY is heartbro ken over the loss o f Firefighter Patrick Brady. Firefighter Brady was a dedicated public servant, and firefighting was in his blood. We are thinking o f his family, friends, and fellow members as we join them in mourning this immense loss,” said FDNY Commissioner Tucker. - DAVID BURNS
RON JEFFERS
In the Bronx, FDNY Ladder Co. 61 has been a s sig n e d a new Seagrave 100-foot rear-mount aerial ladder, w ith S hop # SL25001.
1st Responder Newspaper - NY
January, 2026
PAGE 43
STEVE WHITE
FDNY
STEVE WHITE DAVID DDRNS/@FD4D
A ll Hands Fire in Staten Island STATEN ISLAND, NY - On the day before T h a n k s g iv in g , No vem ber 26th, at 3:44 PM, a fire broke out in the S h o p rite at 100 G reaves Lane. C usto m ers an d store e m plo ye e s evacuated w ith o u t any in ju rie s . Days later, a store em plo ye e w as a r rested by FDNY F ire M arshals for sta rtin g the blaze.
Read more a rtic le s
DAVID SDRHS/@FD4D
from around New York
FDNY Breaks Ground on New Firehouse
on our website!
FDNY C o m m issio n e r Robert S. Tucker an d Departm ent of D e s ig n and C o n stru ctio n A ctin g Com m is s io n e r E d u a rd o d e l V alle b ro ke g ro u n d o n the s ite of the fu tu re hom e of FDNY E n g in e C om pany 268/Ladder C om pany 137 at 116-11 B each C h a n n e l D riv e in Queens. T he p la n n e d d riv e th ro u g h fa c ility p ro v id e s p a rk in g for m u ltip le apparatus, as w e ll as am ple sp a ce for to o ls and w o rksho ps, e q u ip m e n t storage, lo c ke r room s, fitn e s s equ ipm e nt, and tra in in g . T he total cost for c o n s tru c tio n an d d e s ig n is $40 m illio n , an d c o n s tru c tio n is s c h e d u le d to be co m p lete d in th e Sum m er of 2027. E n g in e C om pany 268/Ladder C om pany 137 w as fo rm ed in 1913 in the Rockaw ay Park s e c tio n of Queens. The o r ig in a l fire h o u s e w as co n stru cte d betw een 1912 and 1913 an d su s ta in e d dam age d u rin g S uperstorm Sandy.
www.1rbn.com
PAGE 44
January, 2026
1ST Responder Newspaper - NY
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