(Click to enlarge)

At the same time, the spirit of celebration was tempered by solemn memories of the attack on the World Trade Center five years ago—the company attended the town of Orangetown’s memorial service late Monday afternoon shortly before returning to their working routine at the firehouse on Route 340. Monday evenings are drill nights as a matter of course, and drop-in visitors are welcomed anytime after 7 p.m. Brian DeBonis, the firehouse captain, seemed hardly to have to say anything to the men and women firefighters as they busied themselves with many complex tasks while trading jokes and laughs. Clearly, everyone already knew their jobs. Could they put on some uniforms for a picture? That request only took about 30 seconds. Several young men, ranging in age from 16 to 18 years were the fastest into their boots and heavy coats. They are part of a group of six or seven new members who recently signed up to become Junior Fire Fighters. By committing 72 hours of their time over the course of a year to a standardized training program, they become qualified to participate in most of the department’s activities (although you must be 18 and do additional training to actively fight a fire inside a building).

(Click to enlarge)

Not only do these kids learn how to work as a team and contribute to important community service activities (that, by the way, look good on a resume or college application) they also get a chance to have fun. The department hosts a number of picnics and other social events, and the kids have gone deep sea fishing and skiing at Hunter Mountain together when off-duty.

Of course, we all know that the Fire Department keeps us safe, and that their excellence keeps our fire insurance rates down, and that their efficiency means that our per capita fire tax is among the lowest in Rockland County. But it’s not just a money-for-services situation. All of these men and women give up many hours of personal time and are not paid a penny for their efforts.

“As our society gets more impersonal,” Fire Chief John McCullough told 10964, “We’re one of the last real, old-time community organizations that still has the ability to keep history and deep ties to the community going.” He stressed that the traditions embodied in the Department’s many activities are valuable to all of us. These can only survive if they are passed on to the next generation through direct involvement.

Our Sparkill-Palisades Fire Department encourages everyone in the community to increase their awareness of the organization’s activities. Any interested young person in the community is welcome to join as a Junior Fire Fighter, and adults can participate as auxiliaries or be trained to become active fire fighters as well. Financial contributions can also be made by sending a check to: John Paulding Engine Co. P.O. Box 164 Sparkill, NY 10976 (Messages only for department personnel: 359-1324)

Use your automatic alarm system wisely. Help our Fire Department reduce the high rate of false calls: 1. After power-outages, dead batteries in your alarm panel will send a false distress signal. Keep batteries up-to-date & charged. 2. Sawdust, shower steam, leaf-blower exhaust and many other particulate clouds can easily set off your alarm. Cover detectors during renovations, and locate them carefully to avoid repeated false alarms from daily activities. 3. New homeowners must learn how to use their pre-installed alarms correctly when they move in.