1927

The Holbrook Volunteer Fire Company came about as the result of a meeting conducted in the home of Fred Benesch, Sr., on April 20, 1927. This meeting was attended by a number of concerned community citizens following a series of damaging brush fires, particularly one that threatened the community on April 10. The task undertaken by these gentlemen was quite awesome: after all, they needed a firehouse, fire trucks, a fire alarm system, hose, other equipment, and, of course, money. In December 1927, the fire company became incorporated under the Incorporation Law of the State of New York to fight fires and protect lives and property from destruction by fire.
The money was raised through a series of dances, card parties, and other monthly affairs. Land for a firehouse was secured on June 17, 1927, when Mr. Henry Fuehrer leased a parcel of land on Broadway Avenue, on the lot just south of Merrimac Elementary School, to the fledgling fire department for one dollar a year. George Raff, chairman of the building committee, and Fred Benesch, Sr., supervisor of construction, were the guiding forces in the construction, by the firemen, of our first firehouse. Larry Behan, of the Patchogue Chevrolet Agency, donated the first fire truck in the history to the fire company. Chief Harry Johnson and the members of the Holbrook Volunteer Fire Company were well on their way.

Charter Members

April 17, 1927

Charles Baron, Walter Lyon, John Strobel
Herman Beebe, William Maas, George Tinger
Charles Flubacher, Val Menger, Ernest Weeks
Rudolph Fuehrer, George Raff, Henry Wesemann
Charles Gearing, A. Rhinehardt, Sr., John Wesemann,
Harry Johnson
 

1928-1930

During this period, construction of the new firehouse was completed and additional trucks were placed in service. Truck No. 2, a right hand drive Packard, was converted by the firemen into a chemical truck. Truck No. 3 was a Willys Knight donated by the Kost garage to replace the Packard, which was demolished in an accident on March 10, 1929 on Broadway Avenue and Patchogue Road, seriously inuring three firemen. Truck No. 4, a Reo coal delivery truck was converted into a pressure pumper.

The Holbrook Fire Department Drill Team was started by Chief Fred Benesch during his term from 1929 - 1932. The team was called The Comets. 

 

1931-1935

 The Ladies Auxiliary of the Holbrook Fire Department was organized in 1931 and assisted the new fire department in its fund-raising efforts, as well as providing food and coffee for the firemen at major alarms. On November 10, 1931, the Holbrook Volunteer Fire Company adopted a resolution for the creation of the Holbrook Fire District.
The proposed district would be bounded on the north by the Islip-Brookhaven town line (L.I.R.R. Main Line); on the east by the Islip-Brookhaven town line; on the south by the center line of Church Street to the east branch of Brown’s Brook, thence south along Brown’s Brook to south boundary of the Three Mile Tract to the center line of Knickerbocker Avenue; on the west by the center line of Knickerbocker Avenue.

In July 1932, formal notice was submitted to town officials for a hearing on the proposal to create a fire district. On September 21 of that year, after the creation of the fire district, the property and equipment of the volunteer fire company was reassigned to the newly elected Board of Fire Commissioners. Our first fire commissioners were, as per the original resolution: Henry Heine, Chairman; Fred Benesch, Sr., Vice Chairman; Charles Gearing, Secretary; John Wesemann, Gustave Johnsen, and George Raff. Their first meeting was on the evening of Thursday, September 1, 1932 at the firehouse.
The Board of Fire Commissioners prepared a budget for 1932-33, to be submitted to the legal voters at a meeting to be held Wednesday evening, September 14, 1932, as follows:
1. -$150.00 for repairs and maintenance.
2. -$200.00 for equipment and supplies.
3. -$60.00 for light and fuel.
4. -$50.00 for stationary, election expense and miscellaneous items.
5. -$15.00 for fire insurance.
6. -$800.00 for equipping Reo truck with centrifugal pump.
7. -$60.00 for interest on bond and mortgage.
The first purchase of the fire district was a siren for the firehouse tower, the first siren in town, that would be set off five times for a fire, as opposed to three used now, and three times daily at 5p.m., which is now done once at noon. In 1933, and for many years thereafter, the fire district and department addressed and sought for the Town of Islip to rectify hazardous condition surrounding the Town Dump located on Lincoln Avenue and Wheeler Road (now Veterans Memorial Highway). In 1934, the firehouse property was purchased from Henry Fuehrer. Our LILCO bill for April 1934 was $1.30.
 

1936-1940

A number of “firsts” were instituted during the period; in 1936 the fire district purchased its first vehicle, a Reo pumper, in 1938 the district’s first installation dinner was held. Additionally, 1938 saw the creation of the fire department’s first implementation of an activities attendance system. In May of 1939, the fire department joined the Volunteer Firemen’s Association of the State of New York.
In 1936, the department floor asked the Chief to carry out fire protection inspections on all public buildings. This would lead to some outcry from the public.

During February of 1937 the fire department sought to have Wheeler Road (now Veterans Memorial Highway) continued Church Street. A month later, they learned that Terry Boulevard, current home Holbrook Volunteer Fire Department Headquarters, would be opened from Coates Avenue to Broadway Avenue, “in the near future.” At the end of that month, and into the beginning of April, the department responded to fires on four consecutive days, March 29, 30, 31 and April 1.

During that summer, the department obtained 12 sweatshirts, with the letters H.F.D emblazoned on the chest, as the uniforms for the drill team, originally known as the Comets. The members had to return the uniforms at the end of the tournament season. The department, like many other departments across Long Island at the time, explored the possibility of providing assistance to have firemen reimbursed for day’s pay lost while at a tournament. It was determined to be a matter that would have to be put on the district budget for the taxpayers to vote upon and approve.

The department officers now consisted of the Chief, Assistant Chief, Foreman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Assistant Foreman when the department passed a by-law in August of that year creating the position of Assistant Foreman.The first mention of the Holbrook Fire Department’s Bugle, Fife and Drum Corp came in 1938

That year the department asked the Board of Fire Commissioners to consider placing an auxiliary siren in the northwestern section of the fire district, with a control at the Holbrook Hospital.
The department celebrated their anniversary on April 27, 1938. They held a dinner at the Mazanek's Sunrise Farm Hotel. The membership voted on having a turkey dinner, with a half-barrel of beer and an orchestra, for a cost of $1.00 per person. Invitations were extended to the members of the Holbrook Fire Company’s Ladies Auxiliary, the chief of the Bayport, Sayville, West Sayville, Bohemia, Ronkonkoma and Holtsville Fire Departments and their wives. They also extended an invitation to Mr. Alexander Schultz, then President of the Town of Islip Fireman’s Association, and his wife; and all members were to invite their wives, and if not married, they can bring their sweethearts or mothers. The bills for the anniversary dinner totaled $75.75.
The next month would be one of the busiest in the young department’s history. They responded to a total of fifteen fires for the month of May,
Later that year, past Chief Fred F. Benesch had been elected President of the Islip Town Volunteer Fire Association. At the October 1938 meeting, the members carried a motion to rise and congratulate Past Chief Benesch. At that same meeting, Chief Wehrenberg reported that on October 11, a fire broke out in the O’Connor house, on Clarice Boulevard. The origins of the fire in the building, unoccupied at the time of the fire, were very suspicious. It was suggested that the Secretary write to the owners informing them of the fire and the local police contacted.
Beginning in 1938 and continuing into 1939, the fire department inspected and conducted fire drills at the Holbrook School House. This was done at the request of a department member who felt that the existing exits were inadequate and a fire hazard. A committee was appointed to visit the Holbrook School House. John Mullen, Fred F. Benesch, and Henry F. Heine were to visit the Holbrook School House and see how well drilled the pupils were in fire drills and test the hose, and to also look into the matter of the exits.
When the committee went to the Holbrook School, the Principal, Mr. Holmes, gave them a “very discourteous reception.” He later wrote a letter of apology. He stated the pupils were in the midst of taking a regent. He stated the performance of the drill was satisfactory, taking only 38 seconds for the entire building to be vacated, and everyone was orderly and well trained. The Board of Education had looked up the State Laws and found that the chief was within his rights in making an inspection of the school premises and ordering a fire drill.

In 1939, the department, and its 59 members, learned that despite rumors of the enlargement of the Sayville District, that under no circumstances could another fire district take over any part of a neighboring district. That year the department began the use of burn-offs and controlled burns to try and minimize the potential of the brush fires that had, and would continue to plague the district.

In March of 1939, John Ostroski, 21 year-old resident of Sayville, was given a suspended reform school sentence and placed on two years probation when he pled guilty to a charge of malicious mischief for igniting afire at Lincoln Avenue and Church Street.

July of 1939 would be a busy month for the department as they responded to six fires, including the fire at the garage of Charles S. Flubacher, on Broadway Avenue.
The year 1940 ushered in a new era for the Holbrook Fire Department. That year, the department sent three members to attend the Red Cross First Aid class at the Bayport Fire Department. It is the very beginning of the outstanding emergency medical services the department still offers today. That May, the department responded to nine fires. Additionally, the East Islip Fire Department sent correspondence to the department asking them to join a Town of Islip Firemen’s Softball league.
Taxpayers petitioned the Town of Islip to annex additional property to the then present Holbrook Fire District. The area to be annex, according to the original petition, began “…at a point formed by the intersection of the Islip Town line and the center line of Knickerbocker Avenue (which was the northwest corner of the Holbrook Fire District), thence southerly along Knickerbocker Ave to its intersection with center line of South St; thence westerly along south St, to its intersection with center line of Smithtown Ave; thence northerly along Smithtown Ave. to the Islip Town line; thence easterly along the Islip Town line to Knickerbocker Ave. and the point of the beginning.” This area is now known as Long Island MacArthur Airport.
 

1941-1945: “The War Years”

In 1941 a probationary period of six months was established for all new members. Also that year the Drill Team purchased an Auburn car that was to be made over into a racing truck.

At that same meeting that the truck’s purchase was announced, the department learned that Assistant Chief Sidney Benesch was inducted into the United States Army on February 3. The department moved to have his position as assistant chief held without payment of dues for the duration of his service to the country. They responded to two fires that month. The first fire was at the Maybar General Store, and the other at Patchogue Road and the railroad tracks.
In preparation of possible air raids, the department would be used as an air raid center. George Leudeman was given the responsibility of blacking out the windows.
On December 7, 1941, as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed, “…a day that will live in infamy’, the Japanese attacked the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, bringing the United States into World War II. Two nights later, the department held their regular monthly meeting. It was again mentioned that there was an urgent need for another siren in the northwestern part of town.
That night the department set forth a plan of emergency coverage of the firehouse during the period of national crisis. They noted that on the air raid signal that day, the warning in Holbrook had been delayed due to difficulty the telephone operator experienced in trying to get in contact with someone to blow the siren. They immediately planned to provide, on a voluntary basis, to cover watch periods to avoid any further delays. It was also suggested that the local churches be included in a relay so that they might ring their bells to supplement the siren.
That April and into May 3, the department responded to twelve fires, a burn-off, and accident involving a Texaco tank truck. It began with a fire at Wheeler Road and Moscow Avenue (what would now be Arrival Avenue, the entrance to the Long Island MacArthur Airport). That busy period ended with a fire at the Town of Islip Dump on Lincoln Avenue. They also had to store the Willys truck at Hagenberger’s garage for lack of space in the firehouse.
On the night of November 29, 1941, the fire department responded to a fire at the Thompson home. The alarm resulted in serious burn injuries to Anthony Kreutz, a firefighter from the Holtsville Fire Department, who just happened to stop and assist as he was passing by at the time the fire broke out.
As a side note, during the year of 1941, the members of the fire department learned that they could not belong to both the fire department and the Civil Defense Council.
With the war having just begun for the United States the previous month, the department began to have discussions on the matter of a public notice regarding an airport to be built within the district’s boundaries. That airport is now Long Island MacArthur Airport. The location of the airport and possible bombardments were major concerns.
That month the fire department also received instructions from the New York State Fire Defense Training Program for the handling of incendiary bombs. Chief Wehrenberg reported that the 24-hour watch service at the firehouse had been cancelled. Additionally, he reported that the matter of adding a siren to the northwestern part of town was turned down due to excessive cost. They granted the Local Civil Defense committee the use of one truck to be sent out of the fire district if necessary during an alert.
In March, the department began to explore the idea of a rescue truck. But they felt that the needs and equipment available should be studied further before they take any other action. Just a year and eight months after the Auburn racing truck was purchased, its purpose changed. In October 1942 the department changed it into a rescue wagon.
The fire department like all other organizations and individuals during the war felt the burden of the rationing system. In May, Chief Wehrenberg registered the fire department for sugar for their meetings. During a blackout that month, a car was set on fire. The fire department’s efforts were interfered with by several youths acting as air raid wardens. The youths were throwing stones at the firefighters. A letter of protest was sent to the local civil defense official.
The rationing system continued throughout the year and more and more items were added. In August, Chief Wehrenberg announced that gasoline ration tickets had been secured for the fire trucks. The gasoline was to be secured in five and ten gallon amounts.
Starting on November 20, 1942 members of the fire department began attending first aid classes held at the Holbrook School. Classes were also held on November 27 and December 4.
At the December 1942 department meeting, Assistant Chief Robert Hagenberger presided, as Chief Herbert Wehrenberg, was serving as a Jr. Sergeant United States Army 287 MM Co. OWTC—MOT, in Jackson, Mississippi.
In 1943, the department purchased two $100 war bonds. An amazing feat when one realizes that in February 1942, the department’s funds reached an all time low, with a balance of 66 cents. The spring of 1943 was a busy time for fires in Holbrook. What makes the level of activity more incredible is that at one point both the Reo and Willys trucks were out of service due to bad clutches. The department responded to a total of 24 fires, two burn offs, and air raid alerts. One such alert interrupted the department meeting for 45 minutes on May 11th.
Two major incidents happened during that stretch of activity. On April 28, the department responded with 14 members to a fire on Graham Avenue. At that fire, Fred Benesch, Philip Hagenberger, Charles Zvonik, Sr., and Charles Zvonik, Jr. sustained burns to their hands and faces. The Reo truck was scorched and equipment was damaged.
A week and a half later, the department responded on May 7, to the Town Incinerator for a brush fire. That fire burned until midnight May 8th into May 9th. The fire spread eastward destroying at least 1,000 acres along with the Carroll’s garage on St. James Street, and the Kababains’ garage and Patons’ cottage on Broadway Avenue.
During that time Suffolk County began the process of creating the County Fire School. The program was finally approved and overseen by a board of nine men, including three men appointed by the State, three by the firemen’s association, and three by the County Board of Supervisors.
To begin the year 1944, the department moved and approved to reduce the rating for activity status from 50% to 25% and to eliminate the minimum of 15% required for membership for the duration of the war. In support of the war effort and the efforts of civil defense, the department continued to participate in air raid alerts and the rationing of various supplies, such as gas.
For the second time in just under two years, the department had to replace the Chief of the Department due to the war. In July, Chief Robert Hagenberger submitted his resignation as Chief of the Department, which can be viewed on the opposite page, in view of his induction into the Army. Assistant Chief Walter Ladick was advanced to the position of Chief of the Department.
The Second World War ended in 1945, with Victory in Europe, V-E Day on May 8th and Victory in Japan, V-J Day, on August 15th. The members of the Holbrook Fire Department, much like the rest of the country celebrated the end of the war and eagerly awaited the return of the “brothers.”
During this time period the fire department began a long running series of fundraisers. They hosted bingo nights. The entrance fee was 40 cents. These bingo night fundraisers ran for several years.



1946-1950

In the spring of 1946, the department again revisited the issue of having a siren located in the northwestern portion of town. They also began discussions on the need for improvements to the firehouse. The overwhelming support was for a new building. That June, a Chevrolet army truck was purchased for $900. Training was held on the new truck, suggestions that a pike pole and back pillow be added to the truck for comfort in handling the truck.

During the summer, they performed a fire inspection at the Holbrook Manor, also known as the Holbrook Hospital, currently the Sachem Adult Home. They found poor fire protection set-up and urged the members, in case of a fire there, to check promptly on persons in the building who might be helpless. They also responded to a fire on June 10th, at Grundy and Birdie Avenues, in which an outhouse was lost.
It was noted that the department supported the Islip Town Ambulance Committee on efforts to secure better ambulance service through Southside Hospital. If necessary the service could be secured through the Ronkonkoma Fire Department. The department attended the Armistice Day parade in Sayville in November 1946. There were only three members present. Finally, in 1947, a second siren was installed in the northwestern portion of the district. It was located at Coates Avenue and Furrows Road. Charles Zvonik declined after being nominated for the position of Chief of the Department. Sidney Benesch was then nominated as Chief of the Department, and Townsend Van Nostrand nominated for 1st Assistant Chief. The Commissioners, on the basis that Van Nostrand did not serve one full year as a junior officer in the Holbrook Fire Department, rejected the election of Van Nostrand. After a discussion at the next department meeting, the Commissioners then retired to hold their meeting, at which time they reversed their decision, allowing Van Nostrand to serve as the 1st Assistant Chief.

That year also saw “a battle of the bands.” In June 1947, 25 young girls from the community wanted to form a band under the guidance of the Ladies Auxiliary. Three months later, the Juveniles wanted to form a band.

On July 18, 1947 the fire department received a call for assistance from the Holbrook Manor Hospital. They needed assistance in the search of a missing patient.
On December 27, 28, and 29, thirty men stood by at the firehouse during a severe snowstorm that dumped approximately two feet of snow. Among the duties performed by these men were opening roads, towing cars and trucks, delivering milk, and delivering a bride to a local church on time.
The next month, on January 13, 1948, the department responded to an alarm called in by Killian Langsdorf. The roof of Mrs. Keeber’s henhouse caved in on her.
That following month, the department dropped twelve members from the rolls due to inactivity. At that very same meeting when that announcement was made, the membership learned that the ambulance they hoped to purchase from the Ronkonkoma fire Department was instead donated to the Lakeland Fire Department because the largest amount of calls for ambulance service was received from that department.

During 1949, plans were discussed regarding the establishment of an emergency ambulance service. That August 9, the department floor motioned for the formation of a medical unit. Seven days later, on August 16, the department held a special department meeting just for the purpose of the medical unit. That night the department established the Medical Unit of the Holbrook Fire Department. At that time the ambulance crew could not remove a patient unless it was on the advice of a doctor or police officer. The first time an actual ambulance call is mentioned in the minutes from this year was in December, but unfortunately the ambulance broke its axle.
Other highlights that year included ongoing discussions about splitting the department into separate companies. No split occurred. The department also appointed Ferdinand Coste, Fred Michaels, Gilbert Pedersen, Harold Aronson, Philip Cosgrove, Fred Benesch, Alex Berg, George Leudeman, Harold Worzel, and Frank Klemm as Fire Police Deputies. The members also were given clearance to use blue lights on their private automobiles. Additionally, the department began to explore the notion of changing the by-law regarding the active rating to 25 percent of total activities for the year, instead of the previous 4 activities attended. The activities included regular and special practices, fires, and voted parades. This by-law was approved later in the year and took effect January 1, 1950. It is still in effect today!
At the end of 1950, the department voted in a by-law that would affect the active rating by-law created the previous year. The members would receive a credit of one half of one percent for each previous year of active service and five percent for each additional former chief.
During that year, they began to discuss the building of a new firehouse. The members discussed possible size, location, and costs. It was suggested that a 45-foot by 45-foot, two-story structure, with a side extension of 20-feet by 20-feet, would cost approximately $26,000. They also looked into getting the district to get approval from the taxpayers to spend $10,500 for a new truck.
 

1951-1955

On February 27, 1951, the Holbrook Volunteer Fire Company Incorporated changed its name to the Holbrook Fire Department Incorporated. As a further step in the modernization of equipment, the department took delivery of a new Ford pumper. The Chevrolet army truck was reinforced with steel and equipped for use as a brush truck, a truck that could go directly into the woods to fight the district’s numerous brush fires.
In the 1940’s, after years and years of trying, the department was able to get the installation of a new siren in the northwest portion of the district. In 1952, they began crusading for the installation of siren in the southern portion of the district, near the area of Roberts Street and Coates Avenue.
Later in 1952, the department changed the amount of the department dues. Each member would now have to pay twenty-five cents a month. Initially, the dues were ten cents a month. This changed had been defeated in an attempt at the very beginning of the year.
That summer, the Chevrolet brush truck had a hose attached to the top of the truck for fighting fires while traveling through the woods. It would be used many times that summer and fall at numerous brush fires.
Again, the Town of Islip Dump proved to be a source of concern for the men of the Holbrook Fire Department. They wanted to see some steps taken to ensure the safety of the town. They wanted to have fencing placed around the dump so the paper that is dumped into the incinerator does not fly around and into the surrounding woods. Additionally they sought to have a person placed in charge of checking the loads that came into the dump and to send all flammable material to the incinerator and not out back where it would be free to burn and extend to and ignite the woods. That fence came in the spring of 1953.
September of 1953 was an extremely busy month for the department. Earlier in the year the Town of Islip Police Department put out the word that there would be a reward for the arrest of any person starting a brush fire. But that fall, an arsonist was at work in the district. In the first week of September alone, there were sixteen separate brush fires. Five of them occurred on the 6th of September. In all, there were thirty-one activities for the month. All but seven of them were brush fires.
In response to the great number of fires during the day, it was suggested that men out of town, be excused for those calls.

Around that time, the fire district received the deed for county-owned land on Terry Boulevard and Hummel Avenue, the site of the “new” firehouse.
In August 1954, the Medical Unit experienced a significant first. It was the first life they saved. Thus providing the first of what they hoped would be many proud moments in providing dedicated emergency ambulance service.
The department “broke new ground” in 1955. The fire district taxpayers, in June 1955, approved an appropriation to build a new firehouse. They held a groundbreaking ceremony at the grounds of the new firehouse on Sunday, October 30th.

Additionally, radios were installed in the fire trucks, significantly improving the department’s capabilities and communications. By July, radios were installed in Trucks 1, 2, 3, and 5.During that year, the Town of Islip Dump again grabbed the attention of the membership. The burning papers flying around the area of the dump fueled their concerns.

1956-1960

After many years of site selecting, funding, and finally construction, the new firehouse was opened on October 28, 1956. With a training office and communications area, the new firehouse was a decided improvement over the original firehouse. The dedication ceremony was held on November 25.
The spring of 1957 was a busy season for brush fires. In the month of April alone, the department responded to twenty-two brush fires. The season continued, as on May 1, two aggressive fires swept through the town causing extensive damage. Cottages and auxiliary buildings were destroyed as the fire raced through the Lincoln, Coates, Grundy, and Broadway Avenues section of the district. Numerous families were evacuated. They were relocated to then recently built Grundy Avenue School. In all, the fires destroyed 4,000 acres in Holbrook and Bohemia.
After discussing the idea at length for years, the department finally started moving forward on dividing the membership into separate companies. When the recommendations where made to the department, the membership agreed with recommendations, and the process began.

On August 15, the fire department, as well as the community as a whole, suffered a tragic loss. Assistant Chief Robert “Red” Linder was killed in the line of duty. He was only 29 years old. He had a wife and two small daughters. The department dedicated the Fireman's ready room to Robert and It's known today as "Red's Room". They also had a plaque made in his honor. That plaque is still hung in the firehouse to this day in honor of “Red.”

In 1959, the department’s first Class “A” pumper, an American LaFrance, was purchased. This truck saw considerable service before being retired in the early 1970’s.
The “Brush Fire” season of 1960 was another busy one. The department responded to twenty brush fires between April 22 and May 15. That year the department also began their “fund drive walks.”
 

1961-1965

In 1961, the department formed two companies, Company 1 and Company 2.  Company 1’s original officers were Captain Reginald Wilkinson and Lieutenants Al Jones and John C. Wehrenberg.  Company 2 elected Killian Langsdorf as captain.  Robert Walthers and Daniel Goodman were the elected lieutenants.

 In May, the department responded to the MacArthur Motel, located on Veterans Highway, for a fire in a trailer to the rear of the motel.  At that scene, one of the fire engines was involved in an accident. One citizen suffered an ankle injury, while no members were injured.

In 1962, following the lead of chief Michael Lalosh, Sr., the Holbrook Fire Department took second place in countywide firematic competition at the Yaphank Fire Training Center.  They did it again in 1964 under the direction of Chief Frank Ainoris.  That was quite an accomplishment considering they competed against some of the largest fire departments in Suffolk County. You may not be aware, but Holbrook was once a heavily wooded community, comparable to the east end of Long Island in the 1990s.

So many times in the early years of the department, up and through the 1960s and 1970s, brush fires in Holbrook, had the potential to burn hundreds of acres and last for hours on end. In some cases the fires would last for days, and spread into surrounding communities.  Those fires were often fueled by tinder-dry brush, long stretches of no rain, warm weather conditions, and high winds.  Fires were known to have started in Holbrook and spread eastward to Yaphank.

 In one such case, on May 12, 1962, the department responded to a brush fire in the vicinity of MacArthur Airport on Lincoln Avenue, at 3:45 PM.  Under the direction of then Assistant Chief Frank Ainoris, the firemen stopped the fire around midnight, after it had hopped several side streets and burned a mile-long stretch of brush.  At one point the firemen made a valiant stand to protect a row of houses on Alice Court and Alice Drive.  Volunteers from Holbrook, Bohemia, Lakeland, Bayport, West Sayville, Ronkonkoma and the Holtsville-Farmingville Fire Departments fought the inferno.  Prior to 1972 the Holtsville and Farmingville Fire Departments were joined as one department.  In scenes reminiscent of “wild fires” in California, residents such as Kurt Sutorius were seen on the roof of their houses using a garden hose to soak the house as a preventative measure.

 In another similar situation, nearly a year later, on Saturday, April 21, a fire that started in Ronkonkoma ignited a series of other fires that burned eastward.  About a half hour after the fire started, it crossed into Holtsville.  From there the fire split into two fronts.  The northern one stretched for over ten miles, through Farmingville and Medford before being stopped in Yaphank.  The southern front was slightly smaller at seven miles.  It burned into Holbrook and Medford.  The fire, which required 34 departments and 400 firefighters for extinguishment, was fueled by sustained winds of 30 miles per hour, which gusted up to 68 miles per hour.

In a drastic move to lessen the potential risk of loss of life to the residents and firemen, minimize the number of false alarms, and prevent more brush fires ignited by sparks from burning rubbish, an issue that had been ongoing for at least a decade, Chief Michael LaLosh locked the gates to the dump on Lincoln Avenue and Veterans Highway.  He also stationed a fire truck at the entrance as a barricade. The dump was “affectionately” referred to as the “Internal Fire.”   The fire would continue to burn deep in the recesses of the heap.  Every now and then it would reach the top of the pile in one spot.  People, afraid of a repeat of 1957, would call whenever they saw that the fire had reached outside of the pile.

In 1964 our new rescue truck, 3-15-2, was placed in service.  The new truck had rescue, ambulance transportation, and pumping capabilities. As membership in the department grew and as the number of fire alarms increased in 1965, companies were formed.  The two companies, still active today, are known as Lightning Engine Company 1 and Jupiter-27 Company.  The first captains were Reginald Wilkinson for Lightning and Daniel Gilliam for Jupiter-27.  Each company was assigned three trucks.  Lightning Engine had 3-15-1, 3-15-2, and 3-15-4.  Jupiter-27 had 3-15-3, 3-15-5, and 3-15-6.

Two men from Lake Ronkonkoma were killed on Monday, December 13, 1965 at 10:25 AM, when an eastbound Long Island Rail Road passenger train struck their garbage truck.  The crashed occurred at the Coates Avenue railroad crossing, which was unguarded.  Only a wooden sign marked the crossing and the truck crossed during a heavy rain.

1966-1970

In 1966, the membership passed a by-law for life membership.  It was approved to have life member status after 15 years of service, at the choice of the member.On Easter Sunday of 1966, another huge brush fire scorched its way through Holbrook.  Several members of the crew of 3-15-3 suffered burns.  The injuries occurred when the truck was overrun by fire.  The wind had shifted changing the course of the fire.  They could not get the truck to move because it had stalled.  The truck stalled because the fire had removed some oxygen and the engine could not achieve internal combustion.  The heat of the fire forced them to scramble for their safety.

 In March of 1967, the Holbrook Fire Department responded for the fifth time in three months to the same vacant house on Claas Avenue.  The fire was contained to the kitchen this time.  Chief William Zsembery reported to the Suffolk County Police that this fire, like the previous four, was of a suspicious nature and did not appear to be accidental.

 The first extension of the Firehouse, in 1967, permitted us to increase the number of fire trucks serving Holbrook.  The Chief’s office became part of the Commissioner’s office.  The Chief’s office was relocated for the time, to his home.  As of the printing of this book, Chief Zsembery still had the red emergency phone mounted on his wall.  The signs were there that this would be a growing (but who knew how rapidly) community.  In 1968, a new Cadillac ambulance was placed in service.  Following the extension of the firehouse and the addition to the fleet of the Cadillac ambulance, specifications were prepared for a new Mack pumper, and in 1969 our new 1,000 gallons per minute pumper, 3-15-9, was delivered.  This engine did a yeoman’s job serving for over twenty-five years, before being assigned to the Roxbury, New York Fire Department.

 On March 14, 1968, a pilot was killed in a plane crash near MacArthur airport, just south of Railroad Avenue.  An aviation executive out on a trial flight piloted the Cessna 177 low-wing monoplane.  Approximately ten minutes into the flight, the control tower lost contact with the Cessna.  After going into a spin, it crashed into a wooded area.

 Later that year, another plane, a Piper Cherokee, crashed into a tree just short of the MacArthur airport runway, near Railroad and Coates Avenues.  That plane on its descent for an emergency landing just missed a house and, as described in newspaper accounts, the Holbrook Railroad Station.  Four were injured and transported to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital for treatment with minor injuries.

It was decided in 1969 to create an award to honor and recognize the dedication, outstanding performance, and ability of individual firemen.  Thus our “Firemen of the Year” award was instituted.  The initial recipient was Paul Dudo.  During this period our comprehensive and widely duplicated Motor Pump Operator Course was developed.

 In 1970, a fire destroyed a house on the National Historic Landmark list.  The house that was located on the land that is now occupied by Moloney’s Funeral Home and Villa Lombardi’s, belonged to Dr. Alexander Nicoll.  Dr. Nicoll, of Fordham Hospital, gained fame in 1938 when he became the first to successfully complete a surgical procedure on the heart of Patrolman William Manning.  Manning was stabbed through the heart, while on duty.  Dr. Nicoll had to make an incision into the pericardium, the membrane around the heart, to drain blood that was preventing Manning’s heart from pumping properly.

Also that year the membership as well as firefighters across Long Island received good news.  The government allowed the firemen a write-off of five cents per mile for every alarm and activity attended on their income tax.

1971-1976

 Holbrook was booming in the early ‘70’s.  Both the department and community at large experienced phenomenal growth. In 1971 and 1973 two new Mack pumpers, 3-15-12 and 3-15-1 joined the fleet.  Also n 1973, a 75-foot Mack Aerialscope was placed in service, as 3-15-10.  In 1975 An FWD 1,250 gallon per minute Class “A” pumper, 3-15-6. A new Horton modular ambulance, and a quick response Pierce mini-pumper, 3-15-11, were added to the fleet. Along with a new hose truck, 3-15-4, and a second tanker that came in 1976.  The fleet was growing to meet the needs, and more importantly, to bring our services closer to the community.

Two new fire stations were built: Station 1 on the south side of Church Street west of Broadway and Station 2 on the east side of Patchogue-Holbrook Road just south of Greenbelt Parkway and north of Woodside Avenue.  They were opened on October 7, 1973.  These stations were placed to significantly reduce response times to the east and south portions of the fire district.

 July 11, 1974 marked the first successful home delivery in the history of the department.  A baby girl was born to the Lansfeld family.  Mom and brand new baby daughter were assisted and cared for by Crew Chief William H. Larkin, Mike Slattery, and Charlie Pedersen, Sr.

 Starting in 1975 Holbrook became the fastest growing community in the state for two straight years, narrowly edging our neighbors to the southwest, Bohemia.  Statistically, and naturally, as the population booms, so does the call volume.  These were very busy times.  Holbrook would have multiple working structures fires in a month.  But that is all part of the town growing from a rural to suburban community.  Within a few short years, the department was serving a community of approximately 23, 000 people in a ten-square-mile district.

 As in life, there is always the pros and cons, good and bad, yin and yang.  The tremendous growth in town not only showed the beauty of the community, but also its ugly side.  A case of racial bias hit Holbrook in 1975.  An African-American family was in the process of moving into a house on Donald Boulevard, west of the Grundy Avenue intersection.  Some in town took exception to that.  The structure was literally blown off of its foundation as warning not to move into the home.  An arsonist placed gasoline in the empty oil tank, which lead to the eventual explosion.

 Springtime of 1976 found the department battling a series of intense brush fires that threatened to destroy the Woodgate Condominium complex.  On several occasions it became necessary to evacuate the complex.

 On August 10, 1976, Hurricane Belle made landfall on the south shore of Long Island.  At that point it was a Category 1 storm, with winds of 65 knots, or about 75 miles per hour.  During the storm, the department responded to various calls for help.  In one instance, Bobby Walthers climbed a ladder and tied one tree that was in danger of falling onto a house, to another tree.

 During the storm, Holbrook lost a bit of its history.  The Holbrook Hotel caught fire.  The hotel had been located on Main Street near the railroad.  The building was completely destroyed and was later razed.

 During his tenure Chief Bob Rogers earned the nickname, “Through the Roof Rogers.”  He oversaw the department during an extremely busy period.  Numerous arson fires were set inside local pizzerias.   Firefighters would enter the burning structure wary of the potential of “booby traps.”  In some instances they would see a line of fire running across the countertop as they made entry into the establishments.  These fires are still referred to as “The Pizza Wars.”Arson fires were not limited to just the pizza industry.  Around the same time carting companies “began to feel the heat.”  Trucks and offices were targeted.  In one such case, unignited Molotov cocktails were found underneath the hopper of a burning garbage truck.

The Winter of 1977

 One of the biggest stories of 1977 actually started in the fall of 1976.  That fall and then the beginning of winter was unusually harsh in the Great Lakes region.  Average temperatures ranged from six to ten degrees below normal from November through January.  Before the Blizzard of 1977 began, the city of Buffalo was already under 30 to 35 inches of snow.  That’s at least two and a half feet snow!Leading up to the storm, the city saw snowfall totals from November to January 27^th, ranging from 31.3 inches to 60.7 inches, and 59.1 inches.  That is a total of 151.9 inches of snow from November 1 to January 27.  By that point, the city had a consistent snow cover that began on November 29.

 The Blizzard began on the 28^th of January at around 5 AM as it crossed Lake Eire into James Bay.  The storm stalled over the water, giving it a constant source of moisture.Throughout the storm the temperatures changed rapidly and drastically.  At times the temperature raised 21 degrees over the course of the morning, only to drop to zero degrees four hours after reaching a peak of 26 degrees.  The winds were fierce and bitter.  In the morning they averaged 29 miles per hour, and gusted up to 49 miles per hour.  That afternoon, the wind speed intensified.  The average wind speed was 46 miles per hour and gusted to 69 miles per hours at the Buffalo airport.  At Niagara airport, it gusted up to 75 miles per hour.

 On the 29^th, a state of emergency was declared.  President Carter then declared the seven western counties a federal disaster area.  People throughout the city were stranded in office buildings, schools, factories, and police and fire stations.  At least 29 people died as a result of the blizzard, some were found frozen inside their cars that were stranded and buried under the enormous drifts of snow.Fire stations, much like everyone else in the area were snowed in.  As a result fires were able to burn relatively unchecked because the trucks could not get down the street.  In one such case, a fire that broke out on Whitney Place destroyed six homes, leaving fifty people homeless.In order to properly protect the residents, a call went out across the state for men and equipment to come to the aid of the city of Buffalo.  That call was answered from departments as far away as Long Island.  Holbrook was one of those departments.

 The department sent one truck, 3-15-11 along with five men. Taking the trip up north on a C-130, were Peter Berg, Bill Crowley, Danny Gilliam, and Bill Palange.  William H. Larkin arrived by car with then Suffolk County Department of Fire Safety Director Ron Buckingham.  They spent several days in the city, stationed at Engine 31 and Truck Company 6.  Their days were spent handling between 20-30 runs as well as digging out hydrants. The story of the blizzard would be the story of the year if not for the events that were unfolding in Holbrook.Each and everyone who reads this knows that over time, many stories get embellished.  People claim to be at an event, but they weren’t; or things seem to get grander over the course of time.  It happens to most stories.This will not be part of the following story.  What follows is a brief account of one of the worst moments in the history of this department, and how it was turned into the driving force that provides all of us with safety today.

Nearly every firehouse and fire department has “the story.” that one fire, crash, or other emergency that will forever be known as “The Fire”, “The Crash”, or “The One.” Some of the stories are great for sitting and around and reminiscing. This one is not.  This story is a subject that is taboo.  Those that were there thirty years ago, still recall that night with clarity.  They do not wish to talk about it.  When the subject is briefly discussed, you can see the look in the eyes of the men there that night.  They are immediately transported back in time, and feel the same sorrow today, that hit them that fateful morning.In certain company mentioning the name of this fire is almost a guaranteed end to a conversation.  Men will give a dismissive wave of the hand, tell you they do not wish talk about it, or simply and poignantly walk away from the conversation.This is Holbrook’s story.

"The Kenny Fire"

 On the morning of February 8, 1977, at 4:30 in the morning catastrophe struck a single family, and in turn the entire community of Holbrook.  The department received the alarm and was activated at 4:34 for a Signal 13, structure fire at 40 Thunder Road, off of Greenbelt Parkway, in the Birchwood development.  Within two minutes, the first unit arrived on scene to find a fully involved house fire.  Numerous attempts were made to rescue the five children.  Due to the intensity of the fire and smoke, the children succumbed to fire.  Of the five children, four were boys, ages eighteen, twelve, seven and three years old respectively.  A sixteen-year-old daughter also perished.

While it may seem impossible to believe about a fire that caused the tragic loss of those five children, this fire eventually led to many triumphs for not only the men of the Holbrook Fire Department, but for the entire fire service in the United States, and the safety of all.  This fire changed the way people viewed fire safety, and would eventually be the impetus into several new national building and fire safety codes, particularly the use of aluminum wiring in homes.

 From that point on, all new homes were equipped with smoke detectors.  The use of aluminum wiring was phased out and copper was used instead.  One problem with aluminum wiring was the potential for arching, which increased the potential for fire.

1977-1980

 The February trip to Buffalo was not the only traveling Holbrook men and trucks completed in 1977.  Thanks in part to the incredibly dry spring weather Long Island experienced its worst brush season in about twenty years, Holbrook responded on numerous mutual aid requests in April.  That month alone Holbrook answered the call for help from Deer Park, Bohemia, Lakeland, Blue Point, Medford, Setauket, and YaphankLieutenant Michael Slattery received the American Lung Association’s “Life and Breath Award” in May 1977.  He received the award in recognition of his efforts in administering successful mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a victim of respiratory arrest.

The next month, the department celebrated its 50^th anniversary.

In early 1977 another Pierce mini-pumper, 3-15-14, was placed in service. Our membership stood at 104 men and our fleet consisted of 15 fire/rescue vehicles in May 1977. In the fall of 1977, the department put into service a new light truck.  The truck would be identified as 3-15-8.

This year was a cornerstone year for fire prevention.  Members, such as Steve Hakam and Stanley Jarkowski, began an in-home fire safety series for homeowners and small groups.  This innovative approach combined with the programs already established continued to bolster the reputation of the department.  By 1983, the program would include six steps: the previously mentioned home fire safety series, wood burning stove seminars, a mobile fire safety exhibit, emergency medical services, fire prevention week activities, and fire prevention and escape.  Fire prevention and escape was tailored for preschoolers, elementary school children, and the disabled.  This entire system was featured six years later in a nationally published magazine article written by William H. Larkin. The department received the distinction of being named the New York Daily News Fire Department of the Year in 1977.

The following fall a new 1500-gallon per minute pumper arrived.  It became 3-15-5.  That identifier was already in use by an ambulance.  The ambulance was renumbered to 3-15-16. Around that time the department began the policy of activating the siren with a single blast for all ambulance calls from six in the morning to six in the evening.  That policy is still in effect, though the hours have changed.  The one difference is now it is from eight to eight.

 In 1978 Suffolk County began its Advanced Life Support System with online Medical Control.  A significant first occurred on Wednesday, September 6.  Holbrook became the first fire department or ambulance company to run an advanced life support call in the county under the direction and orders of medical control.  This would not be the last time that Holbrook would be groundbreakers in Suffolk County EMS.

In October 1979 the Holbrook Volunteer Exempt Firemen’s Benevolent Association was formed.  Earlier in May of that year a proposal for the formation of the association was defeated on the floor.The department stood-by when then President Ronald Reagan came to Long Island via Long Island MacArthur Airport.  They provided the stand-by for both his arrival and departure.

1981-1985

 The alarm workload continued to grow, keeping pace with the community.  Mutual aid was rendered to departments from Deer Park to Manorville, and many places in between.To keep up with the growth of the alarm workload and community, the fleet expanded as well during this period. 

Two ambulances, a hose wagon, fire police truck, and brush truck were added to the fleet.With all legislation complete the Holbrook Volunteer Exempt Firemen’s Benevolent Association could proceed.  The organizational meeting of the association was held on August 31, 1981 at headquarters.

The Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church on Grundy Avenue suffered the first of two major fires in October 1981.  On January 18, 1982, it suffered the second fire.   That was a bitterly cold night.  The temperature at Long Island MacArthur Airport’s weather station was six degrees below zero.  That was the real temperature, not including the wind chill!  The boom on 3-15-10 froze during the operations.  To get down from the bucket, the firefighters, William H. Larkin, Peter Berg, and Gerry June had to take the treacherous journey down along the icy rungs and beams of the booms built-in ladder.  The church temporarily relocated to a small warehouse on the south corner of Pearl Street and Grundy Avenue.

 In the summer of 1982 the department received a thank you letter from the Whitmore family.  They indicated that they narrowly escaped a fire in their house due to the information gained from one of the fire prevention classes held at fire headquarters.

 The department’s fire safety education program for children began receiving recognition locally and beyond.   The County Fire Marshall adopted the program for countywide use.  The children’s television show Wonderama videotaped the fire prevention program.  The show initially aired on Sunday, December 19, 1982, at 9 A.M. on Channel 5.  The program starred Second Assistant Chief Steve McGerty, Elliot Fibel, and Manny Dieppa.

 The spring of 1985 ushered in the creation of two more companies to the department rolls, under the guidance of outgoing Chief George Kortlang and incoming Chief Stephen McGerty.  Eagle Engine Company 2 and Sun-Vet Engine Company 127 joined Jupiter-27 Truck Company and Lightning Engine Company 1.  Fred Brace and Thomas Civale were the first captains of Eagle and Sun-Vet Engine Companies.

In September 1985, Hurricane Gloria struck Long Island with devastating force.  Gloria had sustained winds of 85 mph, while moving at a forward speed of 35 mph.  The combination of sustained winds and forward speed produced peak winds in excess of 110 mph.  The winds were severe enough to tear the roof hangars at Long Island MacArthur Airport.  The department responded throughout the storm to facilitate the removal of downed trees in the roadways and wires taken down by falling trees and poles.

1986-1990

To begin this era, the department formed a committee to explore the formation of an ambulance company.  William H. Larkin, Bill Beckert, Pete Klopsis, Brian Harvey, and Ed Zimmerman spearheaded this committee. The following month a new rescue truck was delivered.  That truck became 3-15-7.  The old rescue truck, 3-15-8, was relocated to Station 1 to serve as a light truck.

 In 1987, Holbrook was the first department in the county to have a working structure fire.  The fire was located at 755 Waverly Avenue, also known as the 755 Building.  The blaze at 0259 hours on January 1 was in a bank inside the five story commercial structure, on the northwest corner.   An aggressive attack quickly extinguished the fire while a search was conducted for a security guard reported to be in the building.  The security guard had safely escaped without injury.

 On one icy morning in January 1987, the department responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident on Broadway Avenue near Henry Boulevard, at the bottom of the incline.  A fully loaded tanker truck owned by C & K Petroleum transporters was found off the road, in a patch of trees.  The department remained on scene for numerous hours.  They had to standby while the tanker’s load of gasoline was offloaded.  The process was delayed while the Department of Environmental Conservation responded to the scene.  A hole had to be carefully drilled into the tanker.  This procedure was necessary for the offloading.  The highly dangerous procedure was completed by firefighter Cliff Marrone, Sr.Chief Stephen McGerty, in April 1987, made a chief’s order creating a fifth company.  It would become an ambulance company that allowed non-firematic members to join.

 During the early summer of 1987, First Assistant Chief Gerard Schrang assisted a nurse in performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a three-year-old drowning victim, while in the back of 3-15-4.  The patient was successfully resuscitated.

Holbrook was the birthplace of the Suffolk County Volunteer Fire Fighters Emerald Society.  They held their organizational meeting in Headquarters. Elected to serve, as President and Vice-President of the Emerald Society were two Holbrook members, Bill Heffernan and Joe Patton, and William H. Larkin was a charter member of the Board of Directors.

 While celebrating the sixtieth anniversary in August, the new firehouse was finally approved.  During that month the department also approved plans to sell their 1927 truck. The spring of 1988 was another season of travel.  Mutual aid responses included fires in towns as close as Bohemia, and ranging as far away as North Sea, on the north side of the South Fork. On Thursday, June 16, 1988, the department responded on a unique alarm.  They were called into service to aid in the search of a missing toddler.  Beginning around 5:30 p.m., a massive search began to find missing two-year-old girl, Jennifer Krusch.  Jennifer wandered away from her cousins while playing in their front yard at 61 Glen Summer Road.  She was found at 4:50 a.m., lying in the woods, about 100 yards off Broadway Avenue near the Nationwide Muffler and Car Care building.  It is now the abandoned yellow building just to the south of the Emerald Greens apartment complex.

Later that year a new engine, 3-15-6 came in service and was assigned to Lightning Engine Company in Headquarters, due to call volume and company response.  The engine was 1,500 gallon enclosed cab Mack.  It was the first closed cab engine for the department.  Engine 5 was relocated temporarily to Station 1.

 In October, a ceremony was held for the groundbreaking of the new fire headquarters.The ambulance company was finally formed in June 1989.  They would be called the Fire-Medic Company.

A few months earlier, a Ford Crown Victoria was placed in service as a first responder vehicle, called 3-15-23.  Due to its leading role in EMS activities the department received several awards.  They received the Nassau-Suffolk regional EMS Council EMS Agency of the Year and the New York State EMS Council EMS Agency of the Year.

 The spring of 1990 was an eventful one.  It began in April with a train derailment.  The very next month, several children were burned when they made a bomb.  The following month Jupiter 27 - Truck Company and Lightning Engine Company 1 celebrated their 25^th anniversaries.

 1991-1995

The new Headquarters was completed in 1991.  In February, the department held its first department meeting there.The ambulance service was again recognized for its efforts and quality of care in 1991.  In August, the department was awarded the Nassau/Suffolk EMS Agency of the Year.  The next month, the awards continued as the department received the New York State EMS Agency of the Year.The voters in the district approved the Service Award Program in the fall of 1991.  This program, called LOSAP, Length of Service Award Program, gives the volunteers a pension when they are eligible and have reached a required level of activity for each year.

Starting in February 1992, a slew of new equipment was purchased or ordered.  A new pumper was ordered.  It is a Quality 1,500 gallon engine.  It was assigned to Station 1 to replace 3-15-1, which was sold to a paid fire department in western Ohio.  The new 3-15-1 was delivered in October.  The Scott 2’s were being phased out as sixteen new Scott 4.5 positive pressure packs were ordered.   The next month, nine new six-watt portable radios were purchased.  These radios were to be placed on the trucks so that all the trucks would have at least one portable radio.  In July 1992, a new Pierce pumper was delivered.  It was assigned to Station 2 as 3-15-2.

 The department responded to a few notable alarms during 1992.  One such instance was the mutual aid to the Ronkonkoma Fire Department for the Nokomis Elementary School fire.  Earlier in the year the department responded numerous times to aid the Sayville Fire Department when an arsonist was torching several buildings along Main Street.  Another was the industrial accident at Wenner Bread in October.  A worker was injured when his hand was caught in one of the machines.  The timely response and quality care rendered by the department allowed for the amputation of his hand to be avoided.

 In 1993, the department responded to a train derailment in the vicinity of Pavco Asphalt Inc., located at 615 Furrows Road.  A liquefied petroleum gas, LPG car had fallen off the trolley on the tracks behind Pavco.  Crews were on a standby for fear of a possible rupture while the car was lifted by crane.  The standby lasted close to seven hours until it was finally righted.  As a precautionary measure, the neighboring area was evacuated.  The car never lost any of its contents.  Coincidentally, just days before the very same car derailed in New York City.

 In June of that year, a small plane crashed in the Holbrook Country Club.  The plane crashed into the handball courts on the west side of the country club, bursting into flames.  Crash Fire Rescue from Long Island MacArthur Airport assisted the department during the incident.

In August of 1995, Long Island became well aware of the job done by the thousands of volunteer firefighters across the island.  Huge infernos burned through the Pine Barrens in Rocky Point and then Eastport.  Fire and EMS crews were mutual aided to fight both fires.  During that time, a fire began on the LILCO right-of-way in the vicinity of Live Oak Court.  The crew of mini-pumper 3-15-15, consisting of Kevin Kortlang, Joe Fannon, Jason Reimo, and Paul Mastronardi, valiantly protected a row of houses until other units and crews from neighboring departments could come in to assist.   Nearly a dozen departments responded to the department’s aid, while several of the department’s crews and vehicles were still out east.

1996-2000

TWA Flight 800 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean south of Long Island, on July 17, 1996.  The department provided mutual aid to the incident for several days, serving at the United States Coast Guard station in Center Moriches.

The first Holmatro tool was placed in service at Station 1 in 1996.  The next year, Station 2 received one as well.  The tools were placed in service due to an increasing number of motor vehicle accidents within the Sunrise Highway, Veterans Memorial Highway, and Nicolls Road area.

  February and March of 1997 saw the department coming to the aid of its neighbors several times.  The Bohemia Fire Department had several working structure fires.  During that same span, mutual aid was given to the Lakeland and Farmingville Fire Departments.  Aid was given to Lakeland when several workers became trapped inside a tank on the grounds of the Long Island MacArthur Airport.

 In the case of Farmingville, the department responded with an ALS ambulance and fire police unit to Morris Avenue north of the Long Island Expressway.  A small private aircraft began experiencing difficulty and was attempting to land in the field between Chippewa Elementary School and Sagamore Junior High School.

 The summer of 1997 was a tragic one on Long Island.  It seemed as though every few days staring back at you from the cover of Newsday was the picture of another youngster that drowned.  Holbrook would face that potential situation on June 15.  An 18-month-boy had managed to find his way into a four-foot deep backyard swimming pool.  While other family members were playing nearby, the young boy climbed up the ladder and fell into the water.  On the deck FF/EMT Vincent Coletta, AEMT Kyle Larkin, and EMT Christine Vetter quickly administered care.  AEMT Vince Monti and AEMT Larkin continued those efforts en route to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital with the assistance of Paramedic Rich Becker, then of the Bay Shore Brightwaters Ambulance Corps.  The youngster was successful resuscitated.

 In October 1997, a new truck was put into service.  A new 95-foot LTI aerial ladder was placed in service, replacing the old 3-15-10, a 1973 75-foot Mack Aerialscope. That same month, Second Assist Chief Brian Harvey created the department’s accountability system.  It was a color-coded system.  Each of the five qualifications was assigned a specific color.  Inside each tag was the member’s relevant personal and medical information.  Each member was given two tags.  One was to be worn on turnout gear at all times.  The other was to be placed on ring for each piece of apparatus that responded to the incident.  Those rings were then give to Incident Command. At the end of the year, Chief Ron Schnall stepped down as chief, and became the new district manager.  Before leaving office he oversaw the department’s 70^th Anniversary.

 Chief Mike Timo took over running the department when Chief Schnall stepped down on December 31, 1997, and he kept running throughout his tenure.  Chief Timo was one of the busiest chiefs in the history of the department.  His tenure definitely had a hot start.  Within his first four months, the department had three working structure fires, a small fire at Villa Lombardi’s, and twenty brush fires in the woods off of Colin Drive near the Price Club.

 Timo’s first fires had a few interesting twists.  In January and March there were two separate fires on the same small stretch of Ellsworth Street.   His second fire, on Twilight Walk in the Emerald Greens apartments on Broadway, was started by one of many ambiance candles in a bedroom.  A resident quickly alerted his neighbors of the fire and their need to evacuate their apartments.  The fire at Villa Lombardi’s occurred during a wedding reception.  The reception continued outside while the fire was quickly knocked down.  The grateful wedding party showed their appreciation by posing with the crew for several pictures.

It came across the pagers on March 27, 1998, just after 2 p.m., as one of those calls you feel compelled to respond to simply to find out if what you heard was correct.  The dispatcher activated the alarm as such, “KEF 434 Holbrook Fire Department on the air with a reported Signal 13, 14, 16, 23 in the vicinity of Coates Avenue and Furrows Road.”

 The first responding unit was given some additional information.  “You’re responding to Coates and Furrows, reported to be a car that lost control and crashed through a fence and into a house.  The complainant states that ‘it’ is on fire, but there are no details if ‘it’ refers to the car, fence, or house. The car, it turned out, was on fire.  The fire was quickly extinguished.  The driver was arrested for stealing the vehicle and leading Suffolk County Police on a chase.

 The next two years the fires just kept coming, whether in Holbrook or in neighboring districts.  One of the more memorable fires came in July 1998.  The department was activated for a mutual aid to the Medford Fire Department for multiple vehicle fires at Gershow’s auto recycling yard.  The initial call was for an ambulance, but quickly grew to include several engines as well.  During this incident Kevin Kortlang stood at the ready pumping water from 3-15-2 without relief for fourteen consecutive hours.  The initial response ambulance, consisting of AEMT Kyle Larkin, FF/EMT Dick Carbocci, and Fire Police Andy Faiella was assigned the task of providing care to any injured person on the eastern half of the fire ground as well as establishing triage and rehabilitation areas.

 When North Shore/Long Island Jewish Health Systems purchased Southside Hospital, part of the agreement was that they would provide a paramedic first responder system throughout Islip town.  The program took affect in 1999.  The North Shore Medic would respond to all calls considered to be a Charlie level call or higher, based on the Emergency Medical Dispatch protocols.

The rate at which the department responded to “working” structure fires under Chief Timo actually increased in 1999.  There were fires at the Pork Store on Main Street, during Super Bowl XXXIII and one on Glenmere Way started by a kiln in the garage.  In March, Mr. Shell Auto Body on Knickerbocker Avenue suffered extensive damage from a fire, including the buckling of the wall at the top of the northeast corner of the building.  Also that March 15, a fire damaged Holbrook Bagel on Main Street.  A coffee pot that had been left on started the fire.

 Not everything during Timo’s term was a fire.  Two new vehicles joined the fleet.  The first was a new a Spartan/General 1,000 gallon engine, 3-15-1.  Followed shortly by a second brush truck purchased from the Setauket Fire Department.  This truck would become 3-15-15, affectionately called Mellow Yellow.

 Timo’s term also saw its share of accidents, both cars and helicopters.  One such helicopter crash occurred on August 3, 1999.  That day a Suffolk County Police Department helicopter crashed on the grounds of the Long Island MacArthur airport during a training flight.  Both officers were transported via another Suffolk County Police Department helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital.

 On a foggy Tuesday night in November 1999, the department responded to the Long Island MacArthur Airport for Signal 27, helicopter crash.  An Air National Guard helicopter crashed killing several crewmembers.  Two were critically injured.Two thousand brought about a few changes to the department.  A thermal imaging camera was placed into service in February.  That month, training began in ice water rescue.  Dave Brenner and Ken Greene had both traveled to Rhode Island to receive training from Dive Rescue International to become trainers for ice water rescue.

2001

 Having a significant portion of Long Island’s largest airport within the fire district will increase the chances of responding to plane or helicopter crashes.  Again, the department responded to a plane crash.  On May 18, 2001, around 5:30 p.m., a Beech King turboprop plane crashed into the wooded yard of the Schumchyk residence near Railroad Avenue and Avenue E.  Initially the call was activated as a reported car versus train accident.  Chief McIntosh was first on scene and discovered the pilots sitting on the side of the road.  He asked them where their car was and they replied that their plane was in the woods.  The six-passenger plane was on final approach to Long Island MacArthur Airport when it suffered double engine failure.  Both the pilot and co-pilot were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital.

September 11, 2001, a beautiful sunny, September morning, turned into a day that will never be forgotten.   While most of the country was still sleeping, or preparing to start their workday, terrorists were already launching the deadliest attack in the history of the country.  Along with the nation, the department was shocked when terrorists used hijacked jetliners as missiles to attack the World Trade Center and Pentagon.  Ex-Chief Gerry Schrang, a member of FDNY’s elite Rescue 3, was one of thousands of brave men and women who responded to the World Trade Center.  He, along with 342 other FDNY members, 23 NYPD officers, and 37 Port Authority Police Department officers made the ultimate sacrifice that fateful day.

2002-2005 

The 75^th Anniversary of the department was celebrated in 2002.  The department hosted the annual Islip Town Parade, as well as a carnival.  Other celebratory actions included an anniversary journal.

In 2003, several new projects and ideas took effect.  Two new awards were created.  The annual Gerard Schrang Training award, named in memory of Ex-Chief Gerry Schrang who died in the line of duty at Ground Zero.   The first recipient was Lt. Joe Fannon.  Christine Larkin won the first EMS Person of the Year Award, also given out that year.

 One of the last alarms of 2003 was a newsworthy one.  In December a small ultra-light experimental plane crashed into a residential area of town. The plane came down near the intersection of Dorothy and Lewis Streets, a few blocks south of Headquarters.  Minor injuries and damages were reported to the plane, pilot, and the house that was hit.

 Beginning in 2003, and continuing into the next year, the department was involved in multidistrict response plans for fire and EMS coverage.  It began with an agreement with the Sayville Fire Department.  Holbrook and Sayville would have members stationed together during the day to respond to any fire calls in either district.  The coverage was referred to as the “Saybrook” Fire Department.  Holbrook would later agree to respond on daytime alarms in Bohemia to secure an adequate response to their alarms.

 The same idea carried over into EMS in August 2004.  A deal was brokered that allowed Holbrook, Lakeland, and Ronkonkoma Fire Departments, as well as Sayville Community Ambulance and Patchogue Ambulance to respond to each others’ alarms.  One organization was supposed to supply coverage for a day and they would start responding to any EMS alarm that came in.  If the agency that had the alarm were able to supply a crew, that original ambulance, if provided by another agency would stand down. Stony Brook University Hospital Ambulance eventually joined in January 2005. Unfortunately, both programs eventually fell apart and were stopped.

 2006: “A Banner Year”

The year 2006 was a year of great honor for the Holbrook Volunteer Fire Department.  Twice members were bestowed with statewide honors for their heroic efforts in saving the lives of residents.  First, the department received word that they had for the first time in the history of department, the New York State Firefighter of the Year, Assistant Chief Rick Gimbl.  Chief Gimbl was rewarded for his lifesaving efforts in rescuing an unconscious victim from a mobile home fire in the Lincoln Avenue Trailer Park.

 A few months later, the department was thrilled when it received word that not only did they have the New York State Firefighter of the Year, but they also had the New York State Advanced Life Support Provider of the Year, Lightning Engine Company 1 Captain, Vincent Coletta, EMT-Paramedic.  He was rewarded on the basis of his quick life-saving actions.  An infant was the victim of an accidental methadone overdose.  The overdose led the infant into respiratory arrest.  Coletta’s quick recognition of the situation, its cause, and decisive actions led to the successful resuscitation of the infant.

 In October of 2006, the paid paramedic program began.  This program serves as a supplement to the volunteer response, in order to continue the rich tradition of providing the community with the highest quality of care.

 Just prior to the commencement of the paramedic program, the department received an alarm on October 5, for a hazardous materials chemical spill at Wenner Bread.  Shortly after the first unit arrived on scene it was determined that the chemical was anhydrous ammonia.  Decontamination was utilized and a total of 8 patients were transported to area hospitals.  The lengthy operation received assistance from many agencies:  Islip Town Hazmat, Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services Hazmat, Suffolk County Police Emergency Services Unit, the North Patchogue, Sayville, Ronkonkoma, and Holtsville Fire Departments, as well as, Stony Brook University Hospital EMS.

2007 - 2010...