Beacon urged to meld pro, volunteer firefighters

[Geppetto 31]

Daily Freeman

September 28, 2010

BEACON – A consulting firm has recommended the City Council create a hierarchy of a fire administrator and volunteer fire chief, and consolidate its three firehouses into one to better serve the 4.5-square-mile city and its 14,000 residents.

“This is going to be an emotional issue,” said Mayor Steven Gold after Marc Morse of MMA Consulting Group of Brookline, Mass., summarized a 65-page report before an audience of about 35, many of them firemen....

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/09/28/news/doc4ca1e8c909cbc795672016.txt

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www.midhudsonnews.com

Consultants suggest major changes for Beacon Fire Department

[helicopper 1,050]

Current FD organization (from the City of Beacon website):

The city's organized fire department dates back to 1886 and has been protecting the City of Beacon since the city's establishment in 1913. The combined volunteer and paid fire department provides fire and rescue services with a staff of roughly 60 volunteer firefighters, 13 full-time paid firefighters, and 1 full-time & 2 part-time support personnel. The department operates out of three fire houses that house six fire apparatuses. The department responds to around 1,750 runs a year, while boasting the county's fastest response time.

On the county level, the department falls into Battalion 7 of Dutchess County Emergency Response.

The department has some of the most beautiful station houses in the region and has operated from the same three companies throughout it's history:

Mase Hook and Ladder, Fire Headquarters

(845) 831-1334

Three story 1911 station house at 425 Main Street

Beacon Engine, Station 1

(845) 831-0780

Historic 1889 station house at 57 East Main Street

Lewis Tompkins Hose, Station 2

(845) 831-3516

The city's newest 1982 station at 13 South Avenue

[Alpinerunner 61]

3 firehouses over 4.5 square miles. No wonder they have the best response time in the county! I don't mean it in a bad way, either... it's great!