150thAnniversary Committee
Officers
CaptainJohnGardenhire
1stLt.ThomasFee
2ndLt.RobPeters
CommitteeChairman
ExCaptainDanielCangialosi
Committee
Ex-ChiefRayMaguire
Ex-ChiefDonMauersberger
Ex-ChiefBruceNewbery
Ex-ChiefDonRowan
Ex-ChiefSteveWenk
Ex-CaptainJohnT.FeeSr.
Ex-CaptainRyanFee
Ex-Captain AnthonyFiore
Ex-CaptainVincentGiordano
Ex-CaptainEdMartinIII
Ex-CaptainBobSpinoccia
Ex-CaptainChrisStebner
FirefighterMarvinCastillo
FirefighterFrankCollado
JournalCommittee
Ex-ChiefDonRowan
Ex-ChiefRayMaguire
ExCaptainJohnFee
HellofriendsandneighborsoftheFreeportTruck.
In1874,18yearsbeforetheincorporationoftheVillage ofFreeportand19yearsbeforetheestablishmentof theFreeportFireDepartment,agroupofneighborsgot inthecompany’squartersin1892.
Manydedicatedvolunteershavepassedthroughourdoors overthelast150years,andthisjournalwillalsobeatribute tothem,theFreeportFireDepartmentandthecitizensofthe VillageofFreeportfortheirsupportandcontributionsover thelastcenturyandahalf.
Wewouldliketothankthemanysponsersthatdonatedto thisjournal.Pleasesupportthemastheysupportedus.
Thankyou,
TheOfficersandMembersof ExcelsiorHook&LadderCo.No.1
ApropositiontoorganizeafirecompanyofsomesortbecameatopicofdiscussionsoonaftertheCivilWar, butitwasnotuntiltheSpring1874,afteraseriesofmeetingsheldinNelsonSmith’sgrocery,thenlocated onFultonStreet,nowMerrickRoad,whereneighborssataroundonpotatobarrelsandsoapboxesdiscussed thesubjectofforminga“BucketBrigade.”ThroughoutthatspringandfallagroupofcitizensledbyJacobB. Smithworkedonerectingasuitableapparatus,sincetherewasnowatersupply,theonlypracticalmeansof firefightingwaswithahook,ladderandbucketcompany.Thedeepleatherbucketswereanimportantadjunct tofireapparatusinthosedays,fortheyweretheonlymeansofbringinganywateratallintouseatafire.
OnDecember5,1874,theCompanywasorganized andasearchforasuitablenameconducted.Thename thatwaschosenwas“Excelsior”recommendedbythe Company’sfirstforeman,William“UncleBilly”H. Patterson.Pattersonstatedthathechosethisname because“wewantedtoexcelallothers”.Patterson hadexperienceasafiremanbeingaformermember ofLiveOakEngineCompanyofNewYorkCity.
ByasingularcoincidencethefirstfiretheExcelsior’s werecalledupontoattendwasinMr.Patterson’sown butchershop.Thetruckwaskeptinashedinthe backofMead’sBakeryontheeastsideofMainStreet Hand-drawn Hook & Ladder on SouthWest corner of nearPatterson’sshop.Patterson’srecollectionsofthe Merrick Rd & Main St, July 1885 eventswere“Itseemedanagebeforetheboysgot around.Ipulledthetruckoutwithoneofthenightbakersandgotthebucketstowork.Wehadnowatersupply otherthanthehousewells.Thenightwasbittercoldandwaterfrozeinthebucketsincarryingittothefire.The buildingcouldnotbesaved,butbyheroicworkmyhousewaspreventedfrombeingdevoured”.
FranklinBedell
PlattConklin
ValentineKetcham
JamesH.Nichols
FrancisPearsall
JamesB.Raynor
MartinRhodes
BenjaminT.Smith
CHARTERMEMBERS
JacobB.Smith
NelsonSmith
SamuelM.Smith
DanielR.Southard
HenryT.Bedell
JohnEdwards
N.B.Mulliner
WilliamH.Patterson
CharlesB.Raynor
WilliamRaynor
GeneRobbins
FrankP.Smith
JamesR.Smith
OliverJ.Smith
ThomasA.Smith
DavidWhaley
After initially incorporating on December 5th, 1874, it was now time to enlist the members that would form Excelsior Hook and Ladder No 1. This is the earliest formal listing of those brave men.
InMay,1882,theCompanypurchaseda 25x63footplotoflandfromWilliam Raynorforapriceof$100onthewestside ofParsonageAvenue,laterChurchStreet. OnthislottheCompanymembersbuiltthe firstfirehouseinFreeport.
1893sawthebirthoftheFreeportFire Department.Freeportfolklore,passed throughgenerationtogeneration,depicts thattheoriginationoftheFreeportFire Departmentcanbetracedbacktotheold woodenschoolhousefirethatoccurredon January10,1893,onthenorthwestcomerof GroveStreetandPineStreet.Atabout
1882 “Truck House” with the 1905 Horse-Drawn Hook & Ladder Truck 10:00P.M.onthisMondaynight,afirewas discoveredintheschoolbuildingandthe bellrangalertingFreeport’sonlyfirecompany,ExcelsiorHookandLadderCompanyoftheconflagration. Despitethefirecompany’svaliantefforts,theywereunabletostemtheflameswiththeirantiquatedequipment. Astheyhelplesslystood-by,thefireladdiesjoinedtheonlookersinthrowingsnowballsinadesperateand eventuallyafutileefforttocontrolthefire.
Inreality,anewspaperstorypublishedthreedaysafterthefire,intheSouthSideObserver,reportseyewitness accountsoftheblaze.Thenewspaper’sstorystatesthatuponthearrivaloftheExcelsior’s,equippedwiththeir laddersandpailswerehamperedbythelackofwater.Because,thevillagewaswithoutawatersupplyorfire apparatuscapableofpumpingwaterfromneighboringwells,itwassoondeterminedthatnothingcouldbedone tosavetheschool.Alleffortwasconcentratedonsavingadjacentbuildings.
“SoonshowersofsparksandcinderswerefallingonthehouseofJohnHolloway,alightwestwindprevailing. Bythistimehundredsofcitizenshadarrived.ItwasperceivedthatshouldMr.Holloway’shousebum,nothing couldpreventageneralconflagration,asthefiremustnaturallyspreadtotheMethodistEpiscopalparsonage, thechurchandeastwardtoMainStreet.”
“Neverdidpeoplefightafireharderormoresuccessfully.Thesnowwasagreathelp.Thereweresnowbanks alongthegardenfencesandscoresofmenworkedhardthrowingsnowontheroofs.Snowontheroofsofthe parsonageandchurchdoubtlesspreventedmuchtrouble,asburningcindersfellinshowersandwerecarried hundredsofyardseastward.Inlessthanan hourtheroofoftheschoolhousefellin,and in15minutesagreatsighofreliefandwords ofthankfulnesswentfromtheassembled crowdthatagreatconflagrationhadbeen narrowlyaverted.”Withineighteenmonths municipalwaterdepartmentandanengine companycompanieswouldbeformed. Thisschoolhousefiredemonstratedtothe communitythedeficientfireprotectionwithin theVillageofFreeport.In1893,planswere madetocreateamunicipalwatersystem capableofsupplyingwaterunderpressure.
Theintroductionofawatersystemwouldofferagreaterpotentialforeffectivefirefighting.Anotherfire companywasneededtobeformedtoaugmentthefireprotectionofferedintheVillagebyExcelsiorHookand LadderCompany.OnJuly24,1893,ameetingwasheldatAbrahamJ.Goldsmith’sstoreandWideAwake EngineCompanywasformed.TheCompanywasapprovedbytheVillageBoardonSeptember1,1893,and wasequippedwithahanddrawnSilsbysteameronMay7,1894.Theirfirstcompanyquartersweresituated insideofWilliam’sLiveryStablelocatedat54S.MainStreet.
Whilefirefightingmethodswereimproving,thetwoexistingcompaniesrealized thattheirapproach’wouldbeenhancedwithintegratedauthority.Application wasmadetotheVillageBoardwithproposedrulesandregulationswhichwould governthefiredepartment.OnNovember3,1893,theVillageBoardconsented totheformationofadepartmentandcalledforanelectiontobeheldon December5,1893.AtthiselectionD.WesleyPinewaselectedastheChief EngineerandTheodoreF.CorwinelectedastheAssistantChiefEngineer.
TruckCompaniessecondapparatuswasbuiltin1900withthework performedbyTheodoreBedell’sBlacksmithShop.Althoughthisapparatus wasintendedtobehanddrawn,horses,suppliedfromHenrySchulter’sGroceryStore,couldbeattachedand drawtheapparatustofires.ThefirstfactorybuiltapparatusutilizedbytheCompanywasa1911AmericanLaFrancewhichwasgenerallytermedafourth-sizedtruckandwaspurchasedfor$1,573.Thistruckwasequipped withahitchallowingfortwoorthreehorsesto beattached.Thetruckmeasuredfortyfeet,one inchinlengthandweighedabout4,000pounds. Itsequipmentconsistedof234feetofladders, firelines,buckets,lifenet,chemicalextinguishers andcharges,pikepoles,wallhooks,dooropener, batteringram,wirecutters,lineman’sclimbers, tinroofcutters,shovels,pitchforksandaten inchRushmoreSearchlight.InAugust1914, thetruckwasmotorizedbytheadditionofa threetonMackTractorwithafourcylinder, 50horsepowerengineatacostof$6,000.This was1stmotrizedapparatusinFreeport.
ThenextapparatusemployedbytheCompany wasa1924Seagravesixty-fivefootwoodaerial truck,thefirstoneplacedinserviceonLong Island.Thebuildingneededtobeexpanded, duetothearrivalofthenewtruck;the Companyhadoutgrownthebuilding.Early in1936adealwasconsummatedwiththe VillageBoardofTrusteesthatinexchange fortheoldfirehouseandproperty,theVillage wouldsecurethelotdirectlynorth,owned bytheFreeportCouncil,Jr.O.U.A.M. (OrderofUnitedAmericanMechanics) andbuildanewfirehouse.TheVillage appropriated$45,000forthisproject.
OnOctober7,1929,ArthurStrassle,amemberofTruckCompany,wasdesignatedtoreceivethefirstmedal awardedbytheDepartmentinrecognitionofhisactionsonDecember27,1928,inrecoveringthebodiesof twoyoungboyswhohaddrownedwhile iceskatingonMilburnPond.Ayearlater,inOctober1930,ina farewelltoapreviousera,firebucketswereremovedfromservicefromtheapparatus,afterfifty-sixyearsof serviceasapieceoffirefightingequipment.
In1932,whilemembersofExcelsiorHook&Ladderwererespondingtoanalarm,theycameupwithanidea tobuildayachtclub.TheFreeportYachtClubsmembershipquickyrosebecomingahugesusscessanda communityfocalpoint.
ThenewspaciousCompanyquarterswerecompletedonOctober23, 1937,whichallowedforthestorageofallequipmentandapparatusand futureexpansion.InNovemberof1940,aDiamond-Tfloodlighttruck wasplacedinservicefollowedbya1942Seagrave,100footsteelaerial laddertruckwhichwasthefirstofitskindonLongIsland.
In1961,theCompanyreceivedtwo newapparatuses:aMackfloodlight truckatacostof$33,500andaSeagrave 100footaerialladdertruckatapriceof $64,800.Thelatterwasequippedwith thefirstenclosedtillerseatinthecountry.
Anothernewadditiontothefleetwasreceivedin1972withthe arrivalofan85footsnorkeltypetruckbuiltbytheWardLaFrance Companycosting$112.000.Thistruckwaspaintedinalime yellowcolorconsideredasafetycolorduetoitshighvisibility, especiallyatnight.
AfteratragicfireonJanuary14,1978whentheFreeportFireDepartment lostoneofourown,JerryCotignolaofEngineCompany,incomingChiefof DepartmentDonald“Mouse”MauersbergerofTruckmadesomedrastic changestoourdepartment.PortableRadios,Hurstextricationtool,Scott 4.5AirMasks,PartnerSaws,yellowturnoutgear,etcwerepurchasedto increasethedepartmentssafetyandcapabilities.Inaddition,Mauserberger realizedanappropriatetrainingfacilitywasneededinFreeportwherefiremen couldparticipateinhandsontrainingwithactualliveburnevolutions. OnNovember18,1980afteragreatdealofplanning,theFireCouncil approvedtheVillage’splanforbuildingaFireman’sTrainingCenterin MunicipalParkingField#23,onHanseAvenue.Aconstructionbondof FFD Training Center $200,000wasauthorizedandbytheendof1982thesitewasopened.
In1982,anAmericanLaFrance100footaerialhookandladdertruckwasreceived.
OnJuly13,1986TruckCompanywasshockedatthemurderofoneofourbelovedmembers.Keith“Muggsy” HoldenerwasstabbedtodeathinuniformwhilereturningtoFreeportfromaparade.
OnJanuary4,1989,sadnessagainstrucktheCompanywhenThomasA.Razzanodiedasaresultofaheart attackthathesustainedashewasrespondingtoanalarmoffire.
In1996,ChiefofDepartmentDonaldRowanSr.reassignedHoseCompany4’sFoamUnit,a1984Chevrolet van,toTruckCompanytoutilizeasaCollapseandHighAngleRescueUnit.ThiswasTrucksfirstTactical Rescue2172unit.
TheSnorkeltruckwasreplacedin1995byaSpartanTowerLadderTruckequippedwitha95footbakerboom.
1995 Spartan Tower Ladder with a Baker 95’Boom
TheSeptember11,2001,terroristattacksontheWorldTradeCenteranditssubsequentfireandbuilding collapsewouldkillmorepersonsonU.S.soilthananyotherdaysincetheCivilWar.TothiscatastropheNew YorkCityfirefightersrushedtothesceneandhelpedevacuatetheTwinTowersandnearbybuildingsandsaved thousandsoflives.FivepresentandformerFreeportfirefightersheroicallyrespondedtothisdisasterandwould tragicallylosetheirlives:RichardT.Muldowney,Jr.,amemberofEngineCompany,DavidWeissandMichael KeiferbothformermembersofEngineCompany,TimothyHigginsformermemberofHoseTwoandAndre FletcheraformermemberofHoseFive.Thesefivebravefirefighterswouldberecognizedfortheirbraveryand bestowedthetitleofHonoraryChiefoftheFreeportFireDepartment.
TruckCompanywasoneofsixTacticalRescueteamsfromLongIslandthatwasdispatchedtoFDNYSOCand respondedtotheWorldTradeCenterasataskforce.At10:40AMFreeportTowerLadder217leftquarterswith LieutenantFestadriving,CaptainChrisStebnerintheofficersseat,ExChiefDonaldRowan,ExCaptainKent Stebner,FirefightersChrisLoche,RayRowanandJohnBruscino.ExChiefDonMauersbergerrespondedto SOCinExChiefRayMaguirespersonalcar.ChiefRusserhadassignedExChiefRayMaguiretobetheacting ChiefinCharge.Therewasagreatdealofconcernontheridein.WewatchedasChiefsHashagenand Newberydepartedquartersearlierinthedayandwewereworriedabouttheirwellbeing.Wewererelieved whenwemeetthemshortlyafterarrivingonWestStreetalongwithFirefighterSpagnola.
Truckwouldoperatethroughoutthefirstdayatthisnationaltragedy.
In2002,anadditionwasaddedtoTruckCompany’sfirehousedoubling thesizeofthequartersinanticipationoftheirnextapparatus,a2004 Seagrave100footaerialtruckwithatenmancab.Alsointhisnew additiontheVillagesEmergencyOperationsCenterwasaddedmaking TruckCompanyquartersthefocalpointduringnaturaldisasters.Alsothat yearthe1990SimonDuplexSaulsburyRescueTruckwastransferredfrom EmergencyRescueCompanyNo.9foruseasa“SpecialEquipmentUnit” andreplacedtheformerCollapseUnitvehicle.
In2007thedepartmentfullycomputerizedallrecordsintoonedatabaseonawebbasedsystemandinstalled computerterminalsinallapparatus.Theseapparatuscomputershaveaccesstodetailedemergencyresponse informationonallresidencesandbusinessesinFreeport.Firecallsalsostartedbeingtextedtomembercell phonesasabackuptoradiopagers
AdaringrescuewasperformedbythedepartmentonFebruary14,2010at217LenaAve.Firstarrivingunits reportedveryheavyfireonarrivalandareportofapersontrappedonthesecondfloor.ExCaptainWalsh drivingtheaerialladder,raisedtheladdertothesecondfloorwindow.WhileothermembersofTruckand Engineweretryingtoreachthevictimfrominsidethehouse,WalshandFirefighterAndyPeraltaascendedthe ladderandenteredthefirefromabove.Inveryhighheatconditionstheylocatedthevictimandremovedher throughthewindow.Fortheiractions,theywerebothawardedClassIIIawards.
FreeportwasdevastatedonOctober29,2012byHurricaneSandy.Althoughnotaverypowerfulstorm,itstruck attheworstpossibleangleofapproachtoLongIslandoutoftheSouthEast.Itresultedinrecordbreaking floodinginFreeportwithover3800homesinundatedinfloodwaters,somewithamuchas5feetinthehouses atgroundlevel,over70% oftheVillage lostelectricalpower,Villageassetsweredamagedordestroyed,and criticalVillageinfrastructureneededrepair/replacementandimprovements.TheEmergencyOperationsCenter answeredover5000callsfromresidentsneedinghelpanddispatchedover500alarmstothedepartment.Truck Companyhadmembersonstandbyforeightdayswhilemanyofourmembershomeswere floodedordamaged. Duringtheweekthedepartmentbattled14workingfires,mostoftheminfloodedstreetswithapparatussitting in1to3feetofwater.15FireDepartmentsfromupstateNewYorkrespondedonaMutualAidtoFreeportfor aweek-longdeployment,livinginthefirehouses.MembersthatlivedinsouthFreeportalsohadtheirfamilies evacuatedtothefirehouseduringtheeventmakingfor averybusyfirehouse.
In2018,anew85footFerraraTowerLadderwasplacedin-service.
2020startedoffwitheveryoneinshockatbeinginaworld-widepandemic.TheOfficers andmembersofExcelsiorHook&LadderCompany#1wereheartbrokenwiththe passingofExCaptainJosephGiordanoandExCaptainChrisLocheduetoCOVID19.
ExCaptainJosephGiordaojoinedtheFreeportFDinSeptember1974asamemberofHoseCo2andservedas Captain1979-1980.InJune1984hetransferredtoTruckCompanyservingasCaptain1989-1990.Joeywasa veryactiveanddedicatedmemberwhotrulylivedtheBrotherhood.Hewasa staunchsupporterofTruck Company’straditionsandhistory.Hewasamanoftrueconvictions,whetheryouagreedwithhimornot.Joey lovedtournamentteamracingwiththeDeadEndKidsandwasalwayspromotingthesportwiththenew members.HewascurrentlyservingasTruckCompany’sTreasurer,WardentotheFireCouncilandPresidentof theDeadEndKidsAlumniAssociationwhichheco-founded.
Ex-CaptainLochejoinedTruckCompanyonMarch15,1988andpassedawayonedaybefore hisfiftieth birthdayinMarch2020.Chriswasamemberofthe FreeportFireDepartmentfortwenty-fiveyearsandupon resigningwasgrantedassociatemembership.DuringhistimeinthedepartmentChrisrose throughtheranks onChurchStreetandservedasawell-respectedCaptainofthecompany,servedasthedepartment’sexecutive secretary,andwaspartofTruckCompany’sresponsetotheWorldTradeCenterontheSeptember11th terroristattacks.HewasalsoinstrumentalinthesuccessoftheDeadEndKidsdrillteam–bothwhentheywere oldfashionedandmotorized.ChriswasservingasthevicepresidentoftheDeadEndKidsAlumniAssociation atthetimeofhispassing.
OnApril1,2023TruckhadatragedyavertedthankstotheactionsofourownFirefighterPetrosMestheneas. At11:09a.m.thatday,theFreeportFireDepartmentrespondedtoanautomaticalarmat30CommercialStreet, alargefacilityhousingandmaintainingmorethan30ambulances.Shortlyafterthealarm,asecondreport confirmedanambulanceonfirewithinthebuilding.Uponarrival,unitsdiscoveredsmokebillowingfromthe building’srear.
Asthedepartmentbeganstretchingtheinitialhoseline,twofirefightersfromTruckenteredthepremisesto searchforanytrappedindividuals.Thesituationquicklydeteriorated,causingdisorientationandnecessitatinga Maydaytransmission.
Withouthesitationandwithouttheprotectionofahoseline,FirefighterPetrosMestheneascourageously enteredthebuilding.Helocatedthetrappedfirefighters—oneinastorageroomandtheotherinanadjacent bathroom.Duringtherescue,oneofthefirefightersranoutofair,forcinghimtoholdhisbreath.Asthey approachedthedoorway,thesecondfirefighteralsoranoutofair.
BothfirefighterswerepromptlytakentoNassauUniversityMedicalCenterforevaluationandwerelaterreleased.Mestheneas’squick,tenacious,andskillfulsolorescue,performedunderchallengingandpunishing conditions,highlightedhisextensivetrainingandexperience.Hisactionsensuredthatwhatcouldhavebeena atragicoutcomewasaverted.ForhisactionstheFirefightersAssociationoftheStateofNewYork(FASNY) awardedPetrosMestheneasitsprestigiousFirefighteroftheYearAwardforhisexceptionalbraveryandswift actionduringacriticalemergency.PetrosalsorecievedtheTownofHempsteadFirematicServiceAwardand firemenoftheyearfromFirehouseMagazineforhisactions.
