The Call To Serve

The Fire Company was started in February of 1929 by way of the donation, by the Eggertsville Fire Company, of an old hand reel which was kept in a garage at 120 Dupont Avenue.

In the fall of 1929 the Hose Company purchased a second-hand Reo from the Painted Post Fire Company for $400.00 and kept it outside at 141 Dunlop Avenue in the summer and rented a garage at 129 Dunlop Avenue for the winter months.

The first Chief was Steve McCarthy; First Assistant Chief was Emmett Crowe, and Second Assistant Chief was Gilbert Chapin.

In those days the Chief had to go outside and operate a hand siren in order to alert his men.

Originally, Company meetings were held at 99 Two Mile Creek Road.  Later they were held at the Sam Tropea Real Estate office at the corner of Sheridan Drive and Dunlop Avenue.  The meetings were then moved to the basement of the Community Church at Dupont Avenue and Sheridan Drive.

The name of the Fire Company at that time was The Sheridan Drive Hose Company.

In the spring of 1930 the Fire District was set-up and plans were made to utilize people from within the District, who were unemployed because of the Great Depression, to build the fire hall.  The hall was completed in that same year at an approximate cost of $20,000.00.

The first Pumper was a Stewart, purchased for $4,000.00 in the fall of 1929 from the Young Fire Equipment Company.  In 1936 the Dodge was purchased, and in 1947 the Buffalo.

The first working fire for the Company was Miller’s Farm at Kenmore Avenue and Sheridan Drive.  It was an all night fire.

The first annual Field Day or Picnic was held August 16, 1930 and featured open air dancing.

On November 29, 1934 the Sheridan Park Fire Company Drum Corps was formed.  Three of our present Life Members belonged to it at that time.  They are Carl Reiser, Hubert Rider, and George Torok.  Royal Morrow was their chairman.

If you missed a fire call in the year 1929, each member had to pay a 25 cent fine.  Total house collection donations in 1929 were $101.00.