Putnam firefighters donate engine to Mississippi

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Putnam firefighters donate engine to Mississippi

By TERRY CORCORAN

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original Publication: September 25, 2005)

Stepping up

Fire departments in the region are holding boot drives to raise money for hurricane victims. Today's drives will be in Armonk, Banksville, Hastings-on-Hudson, North White Plains and Peekskill.

LAKE CARMEL — A 1982 Ford firetruck that helped protect Lake Carmel residents for more than 20 years soon will be on its way to Kiln, Miss., and the Kiln Volunteer Fire Department, which lost everything in Hurricane Katrina.

But rather than just send a plain old pumper down to Kiln, a town of about 2,000 on the Gulf Coast, Lake Carmel firefighters decided to include encouraging messages on the vehicle.

As dozens of people gathered yesterday at Huestis Park in Kent for an annual softball tournament in memory of two Putnam County residents who died Sept. 11, 2001 — Firefighter Danny Harlin and Police Officer Stephen Driscoll — the Lake Carmel Fire Department drove the Ford Oren pumper to the park, where people wrote messages of love, hope and encouragement on it.

Most of those who wrote messages on the truck never endured the horror of a hurricane. Nonetheless, being survivors of Sept. 11, they felt a kinship with their firefighting brothers and sisters in Kiln, whose most famous resident is Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre.

Harlin's widow, Debbie, signed the truck, as did two of their children, Katie and Brian.

"God Bless the South" was the message Carmel resident Samantha Conner, 14, wrote.

Her friend 13-year-old Samantha Rymer of Hopewell Junction wrote "God Bless You. We are all praying for you."

The Lake Carmel Fire Department is in the process of getting a new pumper and was looking for a home for the 1982 Ford Oren, which has served the hamlet for 23 years, Chief Robert Shannon said.

As it turns out, Robert McMahon, Putnam County's commissioner of emergency services, took an administration course last year at Harvard University, where he met Phil Hartwick, a Mississippi state employee. They struck up a friendship and stayed in touch. After Hurricane Katrina left parts of Mississippi in ruins, McMahon communicated with Hartwick via e-mail and learned of the need for firefighting apparatus.

McMahon assisted efforts by Putnam residents to send tons of clothing to people in Mississippi and Louisiana, and also helped arrange for Lake Carmel to donate its pumper. McMahon said he's also working to hopefully find new homes down South for engines that the Carmel and Mahopac fire departments have put out of service, as well as some from Dutchess County.

"I think it's great that we can help," said McMahon, a former New York City firefighter who joked that he's becoming a firetruck broker.

The Kent Highway Department will load Lake Carmel's pumper on a flatbed Tuesday morning and drive it to Mississippi, where it will become part of a small volunteer fire department, not unlike Lake Carmel.

"We thought if we're going to help someone out, it might as well be a department that mirrors ours," Shannon said. "Personally, this means a lot to me to be able to do this. When I was in the Navy, I was stationed in Gulfport. I'm familiar with the area — it's my old stomping grounds — so I'm happy that we can help them out."

[ajsbear 11]

I'll bet if we all looked around within every department, every firehouse in Westchester, Putnam etc. We can all find extra equiptment, hose, gear, adapters, axes, and all to send down to departments who lost everything.

[ONLOCATION 24]

That is the truth!

[LCFD968 10]

I'll bet if we all looked around within every department, every firehouse in Westchester, Putnam etc. We can all find extra equiptment, hose, gear, adapters, axes, and all to send down to departments who lost everything.

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if there is any one out there that has an extra piece of equipment PM, IM or eamil me. I am leaving with the truck Wednesday morning following the rig down to Kiln, Mississippi along with another Firefighter from Lake Carmel FD. Let me know ASAP so we could make arraingments for the pickup.

An axe, Halogan, Pike pole, etc......anything.

Thank you

[fitzjr11 17]

Lake Carmel FD Explorers are also donating some of their spare gear to go down with the truck.

[CFD320 35]

Im on this, Im sure we can fins a bunch of lod stuff to go down!!!