History of Company #3

When growth in the community dictated expansion of the Fire Department, the Hill and Valley FD was disbanded and the M-LFD was born. It was decided to put a firehouse on Prospect St. in the Village of Thomaston, so Company Three was established and is still located there today. The original quarters was a simple corrugated tin shed which housed a hand-drawn reel with 500 feet of hose. A new firehouse, constructed in 1929, was remodeled and enlarged in 1955. In 1988, the present quarters was built on the same site. Despite the modern look, a tribute to the past adorns the front of quarters. Back in 1912, a large iron ring outside a blacksmith shop on Northern Blvd. was struck with a hammer to alert members to respond. That ring is proudly displayed at Company 3.

The first apparatus in Company 3 was a Ford purchased from the Douglaston Fire Company in 1917. A truck with flood lights was bought in 1933. The first rescue rig came in 1957. Today’s fleet is state of the art. Rescue 8730, is a 2019 KME Resuce Pumper. 8735 is a 2000 KME and 8733 is a 1989 Boardman; both are 1500 GPM pumpers. These apparatus get quite a workout; Co. 3 responds on a regular basis with every company except Co. 1 as well as going on mutual aid and FAST Unit responses.

At Company 3 we are proud of our service to the community and of our family traditions. Names such as Hicks, McCrindle, Comesky, Bernatovich, Fagan and Brown have been on the roster for generations. Ex-Chief Neil Hicks celebrated 50 years of membership in 2012. His brother Preston is an Ex-Captain and Preston Jr. is a former member as well. The Hicks family boasts over thirty members of the Department over the last century.

Company 3 presently has nine active 25+year members. In addition, Rodolfo Barranco is a former Commissioner and Department President. Neil Hicks, Pat McGrath and Kyle Dugger are Ex-Chiefs; Konata Ragin previously served as Department Secretary and is presently serving as Department Sergeant-at-Arms, and Peter Bernatovich served as Department Assistant Treasurer. 

The members of Company 3 take pride in our heritage and service to the district. We will never fail to meet our responsibility to those we serve. We are proud of our progress and look forward to continued service to the community.