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History of the Hillburn Fire Department

On January 16, 1894, in the Erie Depot, E.H Terwilliger, W.G. Easton, T.F. Keane, W.D. Brewster, C. Hogan, D.N. Pratt, C. Freeman, E.M. Hogan, N. Phillips, and G.W. Conklin met to discuss forming a fire department in the village. They designated themselves as charter members.

On April 18, the Village of Hillburn recognized the Hillburn Fire Department as a member of the Village Organization, and appointed F.W. Snow as Chief. W.W. Snow, General Manager of the Ramapo Wheel and Foundry Co., donated an unused portion of a barn owned by the company, as a meeting place and a place for the storage of whatever equipment they would eventually acquire. Recognition by the village had a price; the department was to support itself, and secure their first apparatus without cost to the village.

On June 6, 1894, the department held their first meeting in its new quarters. The first piece of equipment was installed, a small pumper and 250 feet of hose, donated by the Ramapo Wheel and Foundry Co..

The first alarm system left a great deal to be desired. It consisted of a series of push buttons located in several accessible places throughout the village, which would ring in the room of the Iron Works, where in turn a whistle was blown. It did not indicate the location of the fire, only that the firemen were needed. After numerous false alarms and crossed wires, it was decided that a more

reliable system was needed. With contribu­tions from village residents, a new alarm system was installed, July 1, 1896.  To improve the speed at which the department was able to respond to fire alarms, swinging harness were purchased. Horses were adapted to move the equipment to the box from were the alarm was sent. Drivers were responsible for harnessing the horses while the remainder of the firemen went directly to the box from where the alarm was sent and were ready for the equipment when it arrived.

On October 25, 1897, a building committee was formed, whose responsibility it was to locate a piece of property on which the fire Department could construct a building.

On March 28, 1904, the lot on Fifth Street was purchased. The property purchased adjoined that of Henry Becraft, and in order to make the property suitable for the department needs, by mutual agreement, the two parcels were exchanged.  This lot is part of the property on which the Hillburn Fire Department presently stands.