General Warren Emergency Company #2

     The age old method to alert the membership to a fire alarm fell upon a Village watchman, who after hearing a resident scream, or when finding a fire, would run to the Methodist Church on Fourth Street and ring the bell to alert the membership. The brickyards had steam whistles that would sound on the north side of town. Near the turn of the 19th century, the Lighting Company on West Broad Street installed a ‘whistle’ on its roof, dubbed the ‘Screecher’, that would be sounded when there was an alarm. This system was in place until 1908, when the Village of Haverstraw contracted with the Gamewell Company to install street pull boxes. 12 new pull boxes were installed throughout the Village. The system remains in place today. When a box is triggered, a spring-loaded wheel spins and taps out a signal onto a telegraph wire, indicating the box number. A receiver at 4-100 then redistributes the signal to horns on 4-100 and on #3’s firehouse on Conklin Ave. Each Fire Company has a tickertape and gongs in quarters to alert the membership and count the box number.

Chiefs Call

     Haverstraw has numerous active pull boxes, as well as blank ‘auto alarm’ boxes, and box assignments for corners without boxes. These boxes, when pulled or activated, cause the horn to sound, the tapes and gongs to run, a ‘quick call’ to sound on the pagers and it digitally sends the location data to Rockland County Fire Control. The radio operator at 44-Control can see the location of the box on the digitizer, ascertain a location, and then announce it over the air. Each box has a numbered code that corresponds to a corner or building in the Village. Box 216 is the corner of Main and Third St’s, for example. Certain codes also give special meaning. Box 1-2 for example is a request for a pumper and the EM, 3-3-3-3 is mutual aid, 1 blast is a fault in the telegraph.  

     Rockland County Fire Control, or 44-Control, receives data from pulled boxes via a digital control box, or digitizer, located at 4-100. 44-Control will then ascertain the location of the alarm, cause a home alert tone and then announce the location of the alarm. Conversely, when 44-Control receives a telephone alarm or 911 call, they cross reference to the nearest corner box count and send the data back to the digitizer, so in Haverstraw, you hear the box number. 

     Below is a video of a Saturday Box alarm test. During a test like in the video, the Chief first notified & checked with 44-Control for clear air, and proceded to give 2 manual blasts on the telegraph key. This caused the quick call to sound, which you hear on the pagers. He then pulled the lever to begin the box test. There was no Home Alert or announcement from 44-Control because it was a test.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

In a real emergency, the box would be activated by pulling the lever, the Horns will blast, the ‘Quick Call’ would page the membership, the digitizer would notify 44-Control who would then broadcast Home Alert tones and announce the location over the air.

Click Here for a Box List

The Haverstraw Fire Department, Rockland County Department 4, consists of a Fire Council of one Chief Officer, four Assistant Chief Officers, and 10 Wardens who administer the Haverstraw Fire Department. Operationaly, the Fire Chief and his 4 assistants lead the Department at all non-EMS emergency incidents in the Village of Haverstraw, New York.

Companies

• Rescue Hook and Ladder Company #1
• General Warren Emergency Company #2
• Relief Hose Company #3
• Cosgriff Hose Company #4
• Lady Warren Hose Company #5

Chief Officers 2008-2009

• 4-1 - Chief Efran ‘Junior’ Castro, Rescue H&L #1
• 4-2 - 1st Assistant Chief Peter Rugg, General Warren #2
• 4-3 - 2nd Assistant Chief Patrick McNamee, Relief Hose #3
• 4-4 - 3rd Assistant Chief Al Lynch, Lady Warren #5
• 4-5 - 4th Assistant Chief Robert Drexler, Cosgriff Hose #4

Apparatus

• Rescue H&L #1 operates a 1969 Pirsch model 41E open cab 100′ tractor drawn aerial as “4-99″
• General Warren #2 operates a 1998 Saulsbury Spartan/Gladiator heavy rescue as “4-EM”
• Relief Hose #3 operates a 2002 KME 1750 GPM pumper as “4-1750″
• Cosgriff Hose operates a 1989 American LaFrance 1500 GPM pumper as “4-1500″
• Lady Warren #5 operates a 2005 KME 1500 GPM pumper as “4-1501″

H.F.D.

6 Photos

On May 15th, 1854 upon incorporation of the Village of Warren, the Warren Fire Department was formed. The push for incorporation of the Village was a direct result of a number of devastating fires that had visited the downtown area, and funding for permanent water supplies and for a new apparatus was approved at that meeting.

Although the Rescue Hook and Ladder Company was formed and responding from Liberty Street, its funding was by popular subscription. With the exception of several buckets hung on its frame, this company had no means or intentions of purchasing a pump. At the same time, another group of concerned citizens organized. They too had attempted subscription to fund a new pumper, but could not raise enough funds.

It was this group of citizens who were to form the Warren Engine Company #1 (* see note) that same evening in 1854, becoming the first organized fire company in the new Village of Warren. In the final step that night, in exchange for a body of men, the new Village was to accept Warren Engine Company #1 into the Warren Fire Department.

On September 1st, 1854, the Village of Warren purchased from Mr. Isaiah Millburn a building at what is now 36 Middle Street. The firehouse cost $700.00 and was used from 1854 -1936.

As you can see from this picture, the bay door has been bricked over, but is quite visible. The flagstaff also still remains. At $700.00, the price was high for those days, but the location on Middle Street was centralized and would have been a valuable location at that time. After we vacated this building in 1883, the Triumph Hose Company was to move in.

A picture of the Middle Street Firehouse Circa 1920

Up until 1880 Rescue had been meeting in Osborne Hall on Liberty Street but in this year a new building was erected for them opposite General Warren on the North side of Middle Street. At meeting of the Board of Trustees held March 6th, 1882 a resolution was passed to raise the sum of $1000 for the purpose of purchasing a suitable house for General Warren Engine Company No. 1 and passed by the taxpayers on March 22nd. This new building was built on the west side of the building then occupied by Rescue in 1883 and the Foreman was advised at meeting of the Village Board of December 5th, 1883 that the new house was ready for use.

At meeting of the Board held January 7, 1884 the Foreman, Frederick Glassing, Jr. was presented with 36 keys for new engine house for No. 1. The company was still in possession of the hand engine and several more cisterns had been constructed throughout the village one of which was in the street in front of the new fire-house. General Warren’s quarters on the left, or west side of the building.

This cistern was pictured in front of the Rescue Hook and Ladder#1 quarters on Middle Street. This cistern was dug around1880, when the building was built. This relic was covered over when new sidewalks were installed some time later. Old cisterns, as well as coal, cold storage, can be found under many sidewalks in Haverstraw.

In 1980, filming for the movie Ragtime was to commence on Middle Street. The production required a firehouse and infrastructure circa 1910. The Middle Street location was ‘transformed’ using set peices and was where Coalhouse Walker Jr. was and his car were waylaid by the firemen. Ragtime was to be nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Art Direction and Set Decoration.

Middle Street 2008   B is 1854 firehouse  A is 1883 firehouse

Note:

* Hand Engine #1

During 1884, an application was received by the Village Board to supply Haverstraw with water, and shortly thereafter construction started on a pressurized water system. By 1885, it was recommended to the Board of Engineers that fire hydrants be placed throughout the Village to improve fire protection. This work was to commence the next spring, and by July 6th, 1886 it was reported that 13 hydrants were in service. By October 5th, 1886 it was reported that 37 hydrants were in service and this set the stage for the Hose Carts.

At this time, General Warren , Union, and Triumph responded with handtubs and hose reels while Lady Warren had a steamer. They drafted water from cisterns and other sources throughout the Village. With the advent of fire hydrants, pumps were no longer needed to draw water. As a result, the village sold the Lady Warren steamer, and put all of the hand engines in storage. Four wheeled hose carriages were purchased by the Village and distributed to the companies In a later development, two wheeled hose carts were purchased to replace the bigger and heavier 4 wheeled variety, and the 4 wheeled versions were kept by the companies and used as parade carriages.

Above is a 2 wheeled hose cart that was used during a demonstration on the Bank Corner for the 100th anniversary of the H.F.D. in 1954. Congers came to the village with their steamer which they fired and pumped. The 2 wheeled hose carts that the Village bought were exchanged between the companies depending on needs, and a single hose cart still survives today owned by a private collector. It is unknown if this was #2’s cart, but Smokey put 2’s on the back of the picture.

Almost 14 years ago, there was a Mass Casualty drill on the Bowline Property. General Warren participated, and here are the video’s. Thanks to Joey

Click HERE for the Media page

“The Jaws and Covered Crew Bench”

Our 1977 FMC John Bean High Pressure truck was a logical replacement for the 1954 International. Designed with a covered crew bench and air pack racks behind the cab, this apparatus carried our first  ‘Jaws of Life’, had a permanent foam dispensing system, and carried 6 firefighters comfortably and safely under cover. The Village donated this truck and excess equipment to a village in the Dominican Republic. It is currently in service in that country.

Below is the original Specification and Contract for the 77 FMC
Click to open in PDF Format

77FMC

3 Photos

The General Warren Emergency Company is the Heavy Rescue Company of the Haverstraw Fire Department. General Warren Emergency Company responds as unit 4-EM to all activities dispatched to Rockland County Department 4. 4-EM is equipped with onboard extrication tools, air bags, portable generators, ventilation equipment, power tools, lighting, portable pumps, firefighter S.C.B.A., firefighter comfort, and other rescue equipment. Our 1998 Saulsbury/Spartan Gladiator is also equipped with a 4 stage Waterous pump, a 300 gallon tank, and permanent foam firefighting capability.

4-EM

6 Photos

Click HERE for video of 4-EM arriving in Haverstraw

1936 SEAGRAVE RESCUE AND SALVAGE TRUCK

The 1936 Seagrave was the second motorized apparatus purchased for General Warren. This truck was designed to carry lighting, salvage equipment, and in a new development, tools for industrial accidents and automobile extrication. With war clouds on the horizon, and before the advent of the ambulance corps, many departments began equipping fire trucks with first aid and rescue equipment. This was the ‘cutting edge’ technology of its day. The flashlight and iodine truck would also respond with accident victims directly to Nyack Hospital when the need arose.

1936 Seagrave

6 Photos

Below is the initial proposal for the 36 Seagrave. As you can see, the truck was spec’d out with a ‘Northern Booster Pump’, 150 feet of 3/4″ hose, and a 100 gallon tank. The pump was dropped in the final build. The 36 Seagrave is the design basis for all of our trucks since.

Click to open in a PDF format

At the meeting held on February 2nd, 1937, the company moniker again was changed from General Warren Hose Co.#2 to General Warren Emergency Company #2, a reflection of its mission, and we remain so today.

The 36 Seagrave was last seen sitting in Jurgensens Machine Shop on West Street. 

‘EVER READY WHEN DUTY CALLS’

The General Warren Emergency Company #2 was formed on May 15, 1854 following the incorporation of the Village of Warren, NY. Funding for the purchase of a hand pumper, hose, and quarters for a fire company was approved at that meeting. The Village of Warren, in exchange for a body of volunteer firefighters, issued this apparatus and equipment to the newly formed Warren Engine Company #1. Operating continuously for over 150 years, General Warren Emergency Company #2  remains “Ever Ready When Duty Calls”.

Found recently were Newspaper clippings Smokey had on the Haverstraw Fire Department, General Warren, and the Village. Again, these are Messenger clippings that he typed out and had filed.

Click Below to open in a PDF format