History of Company #4

Around 1919, Section 4 was disbanded and it wasn’t until 1926 that concerned citizens got together to discuss the issue. The farms were disappearing and private homes were springing up at a rapid rate. It was felt that Section 3 on Prospect Street in Thomaston was too far away to provide adequate protection, so Company 4 was commissioned.

The newly formed unit acquired a Model T Ford truck from the Douglaston Fire Company. The brakes were an issue for Lizzie, as she was known, and as the members of the day reported, “She would go like Sam Hill downhill, but going uphill we had to give her a push.” A civic-minded neighbor agreed to store Lizzie in his barn, not realizing that he and his wife would be responsible for opening the barn, sounding the alarm and alerting responding members as to the location of the fire.

In 1927, a new Maxim Hook & Ladder was put in service. It was stored in a shed on the south side of Northern Boulevard, opposite the nearly completed new quarters. When the NYS Highway Department rebuilt Northern Blvd., there was a gully so deep that a brook came down the Boulevard even in dry seasons; in rainy weather it became a torrential river. As firefighters will do, they developed Plan B. They simply turned the rigs around and responded onto Genevieve Place.

In 1937, the present firehouse was completed. Many changes have been made including the 2003 addition of a third apparatus bay, an office on the top floor, increased parking and a gym. Much of the work went a long way toward alleviating the chronic flooding conditions due to the fact that the firehouse is at the bottom of a very long hill.

Company 4 currently responds with a 2006 KME 1500 GPM pumper (8740), a 93’ 1999 LTI Tower Ladder (8744) and a 105’ 2008 Smeal Aerial Ladder (8743). We respond to over 500 calls per year and have 59 active members. We are proud of our reputation: You need us – we’re there. We will get the job done.

We have a long family history in this Department; many names are repeated throughout the years. When you look down our roster you will see Boesch (John Sr. is a 50+year member) Brengel, Dolan, Gould (Frank was a Chief and Commissioner, Tim is an Ex-Captain and District Superintendant), Kopel, McNichol, Rabinowitz, Shaffer (Dean is a 55+year member) and Stepanek (Tom is the 1st Lieutenant of Company 4).

We have always taken pride in the fact that when called to duty we’re ready to go to work. When the horn blows, Company 4 responds and gets the job done.