Behind the Scenes of the Ellicottville Fire Department
Behind the Scenes of the Ellicottville Fire Department
What Goes into Protecting Our Community and the Many Other Things the Volunteer Organization Does
Photos Courtesy of the Ellicottville Volunteer Fire Department
When the town sirens go off, we all know it’s the signal for an accident or a fire. When the engines roar by, we wonder where they are going, how bad it is and hope the people involved are alright. Do we ever stop to think about the people on the rig? The ones who are going to the scene, to fight the fire or help those in need?
The symbol for firemen (and women) is the Maltese Cross, a badge of honor and a promise to work in courage and willingly place their lives on the line to protect their communities. They definitely deserve some notice, so ellicottvilleNOW decided to take an in-depth look into our fully volunteer staffed Ellicottville Fire Department.
HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT
Here’s a little history for you. After a fire in 1890 destroyed an entire block on the north side of Washington Street, citizens came together to form a group that would provide an obviously much needed fire fighting service to the community. In October of the same year, 30 names were pulled from a hat full of 54 volunteers and became the first members of what was then known fondly as Vedder Hose No. 1. Also in 1890, a 14-member company was formed, called The Bartlett Hook and Ladder Company No. 1.
In 1894, the town leased the old library (now the Ellicottville Historical Society) and changed the name of the company to H. F. Northrup Hose Company after H. F. Northrup, who at the time was the Village president.
Skip ahead to 1920, the fire district map was completed and a steam whistle was used to alert fires, with the number of blasts designating which district the fire was located. Later that decade, the first fire truck was purchased. It was a 1923 GMC that later became the only piece of firefighting equipment for the East Leon Fire Department.
In 1939, a Diamond-T Fire Truck was purchased by the Village Board by bond for $5,000. (This is still a part of the EFD and makes appearances at community events.) Around this time, the first fire siren was purchased to replace the steam whistle. (It was rumored that our fire company had some of the best fire fighting equipment in the county at the time.) And in 1940, the first actual Village Fire Hall/Meeting Room was built by Joseph Scharf.
Finally in 1945, the H. F. Northrup Hose Company was incorporated into the Hook and Ladder Company and became the Ellicottville Fire Company, boasting a total of 51 members on the roll.
PRESENT OBJECTIVE AND POSITIONS
Our Ellicottville Fire Department (EFD) is 100% volunteer operated. Mr. Jack Rogan, director of the department shared that, “Our people are on completely volunteered time, 24/7, 365 days a year. Many volunteers are released from work to attend to calls, which is very generous of employment to allow this! We still make house calls - doctors don’t even do that very much anymore!”
Their objective remains, as it always has, to provide fire protection and emergency services to the Town and Village of Ellicottville, almost half of Mansfield and adjacent territories, promoting fire protection, fire inspection, and fire safety and education in our local schools, homes and businesses.
The positions in our local department are: Chief, 4 Assistant Chiefs, Fire Captains, Fire Wardens and Fire Police. The executive organization is: President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
““Being a member of the Ellicottville Fire Department is more than “giving back to the community. It is an integral and important part of the community. If EFD is not the best equipped and manned volunteer department in the area, maybe even county, we are only a fraction off, maybe by about a 50-foot section of hose,” Jack chuckled.
More volunteers are always welcome and much needed.
BECOMING A VOLUNTEER
How do you volunteer to join the EFD? Well, first you have to be at least 16 years of age or older. Then you need to undergo training. This is called Fire Fighter 1, a mandatory state training program. The different levels of training allow individuals to take on different tasks on an emergency call once they are ready.
Education/Trainings/ Seminars:
Pump operation
Fire scene management
Ladder training
Confined space training
Hazardous materials
Rope and rope rescue
Equipment operations and driving
Officer education
Interior firefighting
Search and rescue training
Training on EFD equipment: (CO2 detection, thermal imaging, radio operation, airpack operation, and personal safety)
We can’t forget to mention the Ellicottville Joint Fire Commission. The Ellicottville Joint Fire Commission are appointed members of the community who act as the financial directors of budget and expenses of equipment and supplies (trucks included) for the Ellicottville Fire Department, allowing the necessary equipment, education, and supplies to be included in the budget. All expenditures are submitted and approved/denied. It is a unique organization, as it is one of very few joint fire commissions that represents the village and town.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
Keep in mind, it isn’t all emergencies and fighting blazes all the time. To add some examples, Jack shared some of the company’s most memorable volunteer moments. Jack has been a part of the department for 60 years. Besides the scary moments of the job during fire rescues and emergency runs, there are also more lighthearted times. They once had to rescue a buffalo from a pond up on Horn Hill when the buffalo farm was still up there. (That had to be a bull of a job!) They’ve had to rescue an individual stuck waist deep in a swamp, and have of course rescued a cat or two from a tree.
The volunteers also work activities in the local community, like the Open House at the Fire Hall, giving fire truck rides during events, parade participation, teaching fire prevention and safety courses and putting on the infamous annual Easter egg hunt at the Village Park.
IN CONCLUSION
You can find more information on their Facebook (Ellicottville Volunteer Fire Department), on their website at ellicottvillefire.com or by calling 716-699-2717. Meetings are held every first Monday of the month at 7:30pm and every Tuesday evening (6:00pm-6:30pm) on work nights at the firehall which is located at 30 Fillmore Drive in Ellicottville, NY.
The Ellicottville Joint Fire Commission and the Ellicottville Fire Department want to thank the community of Ellicottville and its surrounding areas for their continued support.