The Beginning History of the Wurtsboro Fire District.
The origin of the Wurtsboro Fire District actually begins on October 20, 1898, when a group of residents formed the Wurtsboro Hose Company. Shortly thereafter, the Wurtsboro Hook and Ladder Company came into being, and the two companies merged to become the Wurtsboro Fire Department with Dr. Charles Piper as its first chief. This was the first existence of organized fire protection for the Wurtsboro community. In December of 1900, a spirited drive to finance the erection of a firehouse, meeting rooms, and a community village hall was initiated by the membership of the fire department. Hard work and enthusiasm were at their peak, and by February of 1909, the new fireman’s hall was dedicated by former Governor of the State of New York, Benjamin B. O’Dell Jr. The building was erected on land donated by Mr. and Mrs. Frank McCune, who were the original owners of the Dorrance House (formerly the Wurtsboro Hotel and now Pasta D’Oro). It is worth mentioning that the original fire department had the building built, furnished, and placed in service for $7,500. All monies for this project were raised by the membership. This was certainly a great accomplishment in those days.
Unfortunately, firemanic interest seemed to dwindle with the advent of World War I. In 1922, the hall was sadly in need of repair and was deeded to the village. Its name was changed to the Frank McCune Jr. Memorial Hall in memory of the McCune son who died while in the military service of our country. It is sad to relate that for the next dozen years from 1918 to 1930, there is little activity to mention about meetings, drills, and an occasional fire.
In October of 1930 a small group of former Wurtsboro Fire Department members met to reorganize under the old charter. With meetings on October 15 and October 22, plans materialized for the rebirth of the Wurtsboro Fire Company #1 with fifty active chartered members. This was the beginning of the Wurtsboro Fire Company #1. Chief Adam Startup was elected as the first chief of the department. This reorganization immediately produced many needed improvements and efficiencies within the new fire company and department. For all the years since this reorganization, even fire calls and emergencies beyond the corporate limits of the Village of Wurtsboro, were answered at the direction of the village board. Other than a few brief months in 1935, none of those calls or emergencies were ever refused. To reimburse the village for this service, set and specific dollar amounts were paid by the Town of Mamakating for each type of fire call, false alarm, booster loads of water that were used, and hours of pumping that were needed. Some years saw many fire calls, and others had few fire calls. As a village owned and operated fire department, the chief, or the officer-in-charge of the department, answered only to the village board. The village board controlled the funding from the village tax base, which allowed the fire department to purchase fire apparatus, equipment, and sustain operations on a daily basis. This was especially difficult during the meager financial years of the depression. It was impossible to plan for improvements or the replacement of equipment and apparatus.
In December 1958 the village board entered into negotiations with the fire company and the Town of Mamakating to form (what would be) the original Wurtsboro Mountain Fire Protection District. A contract was entered into by all three parties for $3,000 per year beginning in February 1959. The village received this money for a period of five years to furnish the necessary fire protection for the district. At last, the fire company and department were able to plan for improvements in the fire department without causing a financial burden to the village taxpayer. At times this new arrangement was manageable and at other times it could be tenuous, depending on the interaction of the Village Board and the serving chiefs. However, for the most part it was an amicable situation.
It was during this period that new heavy duty fire apparatus was acquired and therefore a more adequate space to operate from was needed. A building committee was formed to meet with the village board to discuss the possibility of building a new firehouse. With the total cooperation of the village board, the end result was a new building at 91 Sullivan Street. Construction began on July 30, 1969 after the demolition of the original 1909 Firemen’s Hall. The cornerstone was laid on September 17, 1969 and the first meeting in the new building took place on February 2, 1970. The dedication ceremonies took place on May 17, 1970 with the Honorable Lawrence H. Cook, Justice of the Supreme Court, State of New York as guest speaker. The total cost of construction for this building was $85,000. The fire company donated $20,000 of their own money together with hundreds of man hours in labor to hold construction costs down.
It was at this point during the 1970s and throughout the 1980s that the fire service in the State of New York and the country were experiencing numerous changes, not only in the concept of fighting fires but in training, legal requirements and the new expensive fire equipment being sold to the end users. Unfortunately, the budgetary restraints of the Village of Wurtsboro could not keep up with these fast-paced changes and the federal and state mandated requirements. By the late 1980s, then Chief, Bill Lothrop, approached the village board recommending that they seriously consider the forming of a joint fire district, as required by the State of New York. To put it properly, the village board and the village residents could no longer afford the fire department. The fire call volume for the department had almost doubled during the previous two decades and the cost of operations had tripled. After much hesitation and heated discussion, it was realized that going to a full-fledged joint fire district was the only alternative for providing fire protection for the village and the surrounding areas included in the protection district. It took the guidance and wisdom of then Town Supervisor, Dennis Greenwald, to initiate a committee to form what would become the Wurtsboro Joint Fire District.
In March of 1990, the Wurtsboro Fire Department and the Wurtsboro Mountain Fire Protection District were separated from the political entities of the Village of Wurtsboro and the Town of Mamakating, and fell under the control and direction of the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Wurtsboro Joint Fire District. At first there were five appointed fire commissioners and a secretary/treasurer. The first commissioners were John Bryan, Arthur Healey, Joseph Hann, Esther Walsh and Harold Thompson. JoAnn Salamone was appointed as the first secretary/treasurer. Each commissioner would serve one year and then would have to run in an open election by the registered voters of the district. The newly elected commissioner would then serve a five year term. A chairman of the board was elected from among the five sitting commissioners. Past Chief, John Bryan, was elected as the first chairman of the board and Chief Bill Lothrop became the first chief of the newly formed fire district. The Wurtsboro Fire Company #1 would remain the same and be the social entity of the fire department. It was at this point that the fire district had a real annual budget solely dedicated to the operations of the fire department.
It has been 34 years since this historical event and a lot has transpired to bring us to where we are today.
The Fire District Today.
In the past thirty-four years, we have seen some remarkable changes not only in the fire service but also in our membership and our community. Our fire apparatus is some of the most modern in a tri-county area. Our membership continues to be trained in the latest firefighting techniques. Our equipment is state-of-the-art. On 12/20/20, we moved into our new firehouse, which is the envy of other fire districts in the tri-county area.
Our board of fire commissioners has worked diligently and within the fiscal parameters of the tax base to achieve this goal. Our officers, as well as our fire commissioners, continue to work hand in hand in a team effort for the betterment of our district, department, and community.
In closing, we look forward to the next thirty-four years of continued prosperity and growth in our community and in our district.
By Bill Lothrop, Chairman
Board of Commissioners
Wurtsboro Joint Fire District
With assistance from:
Michael Roosa, Past Chief
JoAnn Salamone, Past Secretary/Treasurer