A Short History of 176 Years of Service to Fishkill

By Allan R. Way, Company Historian

Our story officially began on March 30, 1829 when the Assembly of the State of New York unanimously passed legislation authorizing the incorporation of a fire company in Fishkill. The legislation went on to unanimously pass the New York State Senate and on April 22, 1829, Governor E. T. Throop signed the legislation into law and made April 22nd our birthday.

The Company began operations with two relatively small hand operated engines. The first fire house was a little shed that had been built on Broad Street in 1830 near where the Veteran's Monument now stands.

In 1863, under the leadership of Isaac Cotheal, a larger hand engine was purchased from the City of Poughkeepsie. A plate on the front of the engine bore the inscription “Protection No. 1”. The Poughkeepsie firemen requested that the name not be changed. Accordingly, Fishkill reorganized as “Protection Engine Company No. 1.” The new engine drew water from wells and cisterns that were built about the village streets specifically for fire protection use. A new fire station was erected on Church Street where the bakery now stands.

During the late 1860’s the membership in the fire department dwindled and the engine became too big for the number of members remaining to handle. So the engine was traded to the fire company in Matteawan (now part of the City of Beacon) for a smaller hand engine built by the Button Fire Engine Company. The Button Engine is still maintained by the Fishkill Fire Department and is brought out for the public to see on special occasions.

In 1873 reorganization took place resulting in a name change... the Eureka Engine Company. It was that Fire Company that fought the Great Fishkill Fire of December 1, 1873. That fire destroyed a great portion of the Village business district from about where the Village offices now are in the Van Wyck Hall to the store currently occupied by a nail care salon on the north side of Main Street and from where the Depew and Schetter Insurance building currently is to about where the current Hudson Valley Photo studio is located on the south side of Main Street. Town of Fishkill Historian Willa Skinner, in her book “A History of the Town of Fishkill”, captured the full story of that disastrous fire.

A new engine house was erected on Robinson Street in 1878. It is currently owned by the Wachovia Bank. A parade was a part of the dedication celebration featuring fire companies from Fishkill Landing, Matteawan, and W. T. Garner of Wappingers Falls.

In 1904, Protection Engine Company No. 1 Inc. was reorganized from its predecessor, Eureka Engine Company and continues to this day. Part of this reorganization resulted in the Village of Fishkill assuming responsibility for fire fighting apparatus and equipment (The Fishkill Fire Department) while the manpower remained a volunteer fraternal organization dedicated to fire fighting (Protection Engine). One of the ways the organizers used to raise funds for the new company was to sponsor a dinner. In the beginning, Ham and Turkey were the headliners and they were served with all the trimmings. The early suppers were served at the Van Wyck Hall. The Fire Station, at that time, was on Robinson Street and wasn’t big enough to have such an affair. The turkey supper (minus the ham) continues annually.

Over the years, we have fought many fires, the most disastrous remains the tragic fire of December 1873. Some other major alarms include the Fishkill School in 1909 that completely destroyed the building, the Grange Hall in Wiccopee in 1929 (there was no Wiccopee Fire Company at that time), The Grand Union Shopping Center in 1962, The Fishkill Tire Store in 1971 (which burned for three days), The Dennis House of Furniture in 1975, The Fishkill Inn Fire in 1979 (the old Union Hotel in which 1 tenant lost his life), and the Holiday Inn fires of 1977, 1987, and 1990.

Our current apparatus include a 1989 Hahn Pumper-Tanker, a 1997 Ferrarra quint with a 65 foot aerial ladder and a 2004 Saulsbury-Spartan Fire-Rescue engine that boasts a powerful lighting system, ready-to-roll hydraulic rescue tools, and a fully enclosed six passenger cab. Our chief officer and his two assistants each have a vehicle at their disposal to carry out the administrative responsibilities of their offices in leading the department during alarms and assuring the general fire protection of the Village of Fishkill is being maintained.

Our company rolls maintain a fairly steady active membership of about 35 all volunteer trained firefighters who are constantly on call 24x7. We are always looking for new members to help carry on the tradition of volunteer fire fighting.

So, reader, if you are not a firefighter but would like to be, give us a call at 845-896-6613 or stop by the station, especially on Monday evenings when our weekly checks of equipment take place. Help keep our Village safe.