Today's Special Anniversary - March 4th 1861

[Bnechis 3,961]

Today’s Special Anniversary

When the New York City newspapers were delivered to the New Rochelle train station on the morning of March 4th, 1861 the front page news was that today was the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln as the 16th President of the United States.

Washington D.C was a long way off and New Rochelle had not supported Lincoln and there was important business in the Village of New Rochelle. The Village Board was to meet today to consider a petition to appropriate $400 to purchase New Rochelle’s first fire truck, $800 to erect or procure its first fire house and appointed 29 men as volunteer firemen to protect the 3,500 residence of the growing Village of New Rochelle. The New Rochelle Fire Department was born.

The Village of New Rochelle Fire Department’s first company became known as the Enterprise Hook and Ladder and Bucket Company #1. Not to be out done by the Village, two week later the Town of New Rochelle formed its first fire department. Much of the early records talk about how the two departments competed in races up and down Main Street to prove who was fastest.

On September 2, 1867 the Huguenot Hook and Ladder Company became the Huguenot Fire Company #1 with the Fire Departments first Engine, or Pump. Prior to this, the fire department’s only ability to extinguish fire was using buckets. That first engine was first used by the NYC Volunteer Fire Department and was obtained at the cost of a whopping $1,500.

In 1882 the department received it s first fire bell and placed it on the new Huguenot Fire House on Lawton Street (now the library parking lot). The Building later burned to the ground but the bell was saved and reused. Today the bell is a memorial to fallen Firefighters and is in front of Station #1 on Harrison Street. In 1885 the department purchased its first steam-powered pumper to augment the hand-powered one.

In 1899 the Town and Village of New Rochelle merged to become the City of New Rochelle. The Fire Department was forced to consolidate as well and became the Fire Department of the City of New Rochelle.

On March 4th 1901 the department hired William Rinck, making him the first paid fireman. Additional paid firefighters were added each year and on May 1st 1903 Chief Ross became the first paid fire chief. He had served as volunteer chief starting on July 16, 1889.

The City continued to grow and the Fire Department grew with it, adding new apparatus, fire stations and paid firefighters. In 1920 Chief Jones reported the department had its busiest year in its history as the firemen had responded to 200 alarms that year. On May 13, 1927 at the recommendation of the Chamber of Commerce, City disbanded the Fire Department volunteers The reason stated was to improve the fire insurance rating, thus reducing insurance premiums. This professional system is still in place today.

Over the decades as the City has grown, the fire department has kept pace, adding new technologies such as horseless pumpers, tower ladders, the Jaws of Life and computers. The fleet and the stations have been and continue to require upgrading. New neighborhoods particularly in the north end required protection, and stations were replaced to provide room for development. The Fire Department has been challenged in many ways, and early firefighters would be shocked to learn that number of calls for help has exceeded 9,000 annually.

During these years New Rochelle Fire Department has responded to many emergencies small and great, the most notable earliest one being in 1875. The Ferguson’s Grocery and Feed store Fire on Main Street, took much of the downtown shopping district. Ferguson rebuilt it (this time of brick) and on November 5th 1890 it burned again. The second fire was worse than the first with mutual aid needed to save the Village. Larchmont, Pelham, Mt. Vernon came along with Port Chester who placed their hand engine on a railroad flat car to get to Lawton and main within 25 minutes. The Rye Fire Department arrived later, having pulled their pumper down the post road.

Firefighting remains one of the most dangerous professions. Many firefighters have been injured, some critically, and six New Rochelle Fire Fighters have made Supreme Sacrifice. May they Rest in Peace. They gave their all for New Rochelle.

Many things have changed in New Rochelle in the 150 years since March 4th 1861. But the one true constant is that when someone needs help the New Rochelle Fire Department will be there in minutes and that is something that the citizens can always count on. Over the upcoming months, the department will celebrate their legacy and century and a half of service with a number of special events and displays.

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

Happy Anniversary New Rochelle Fire Dept !

[LTNRFD 266]

Barry don't forget to save me a tee shirt !!!!!

[Tanker 10eng 140]

will there be cake today ???

[Bnechis 3,961]

will there be cake today ???

Thanks for the offer.....

Cake.bmp

[jack10562 414]

Congratulations to The New Rochelle Fire Department on their 150th Anniversary!!

A glowing history steeped in tradition, and on today's cutting-edge!

Warmest regards to "Doc" and the entire New Rochelle Fire Department!

[PEMO3 523]

Happy Anniversary. Bnechis thank you for providing us with such a detailed history and all of those great historical pictures. A real walk through time. One questions: Will you be calling in mutual aid for the fifth alarm when they light the candles on the cake? Enjoy, you guys deserve it!!

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Isn't next year Doc Kiernan's 150th Anniversary with the department?

[IzzyEng4 427]

Happy Birthday Ol' Man!!! The first 150 years are the hardest!

[WCFCX613 6]

HAPPY 150TH ANNIVERSARY TO THE BRAVEST OF THE NEW ROCHELLE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IT's PAST AND PRESENT MEMBERS, IT's FEARLESS AND AWESOME LEADER RAYMOND ' DOC ' KIERNAN AND CAPTAIN BARRY NECHIS FOR COMPILING AND SHARING THE FANTASTIC HISTORY OF FDNR ON EMTBravo AND MAKING THE NEW ROCHELLE FIRE DEPARTMENT MUSEUM A REALITY JUST YARDS AWAY FROM THE ORIGINAL HAUNT OF ' THE MIDNIGHT VOICE OF KEF-934 ' BTW BARRY I COULD NOT MAKE IT OVER THE BRIDGE THIS WEEK, WILL DELIVER A ' SPECIAL PACKAGE ' TO YOU NEXT WEEK MY FRIEND :-)

[WCFCX613 6]

HAPPY 150TH ANNIVERSARY TO THE BRAVEST OF THE NEW ROCHELLE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IT's PAST AND PRESENT MEMBERS, IT's FEARLESS AND AWESOME LEADER RAYMOND ' DOC ' KIERNAN AND CAPTAIN BARRY NECHIS FOR COMPILING AND SHARING THE FANTASTIC HISTORY OF FDNR ON EMTBravo AND MAKING THE NEW ROCHELLE FIRE DEPARTMENT MUSEUM A REALITY JUST YARDS AWAY FROM THE ORIGINAL HAUNT OF ' THE MIDNIGHT VOICE OF KEF-934 ' BTW BARRY I COULD NOT MAKE IT OVER THE BRIDGE THIS WEEK, WILL DELIVER A ' SPECIAL PACKAGE ' TO YOU NEXT WEEK MY FRIEND :-)

[LTNRFD 266]

HAPPY 150TH ANNIVERSARY TO THE BRAVEST OF THE NEW ROCHELLE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IT's PAST AND PRESENT MEMBERS, IT's FEARLESS AND AWESOME LEADER RAYMOND ' DOC ' KIERNAN AND CAPTAIN BARRY NECHIS FOR COMPILING AND SHARING THE FANTASTIC HISTORY OF FDNR ON EMTBravo AND MAKING THE NEW ROCHELLE FIRE DEPARTMENT MUSEUM A REALITY JUST YARDS AWAY FROM THE ORIGINAL HAUNT OF ' THE MIDNIGHT VOICE OF KEF-934 ' BTW BARRY I COULD NOT MAKE IT OVER THE BRIDGE THIS WEEK, WILL DELIVER A ' SPECIAL PACKAGE ' TO YOU NEXT WEEK MY FRIEND :-)

John they have been having trouble moving your favorite radiator from the old squad room down into the museum. BTW has the grill lines finally disappear from the side of your face????

[x635 4,066]

Congrats to the City Of New Rochelle FD!