History of the

Valatie Fire Department

The Valatie Fire Department was formed some 160+ years ago to serve the citizens of the small village located in upstate New York about 20 miles south of Albany.

In 1825 the citizens of the Village met at Funk's Hotel to choose the most eligible means of fighting fires.  It is believed that they decided on the use of a bucket brigade at that time.  On May 2, 1837 the legislature passed an act incorporating the Valatie Fire Company.  In 1844 the trustees divided their property, worth some $1400.00, into 280 shares at $5.00 each.  In 1856 the village was incorporated and this property was transferred to the village trustees and the company disbanded.

The James Purcell Hose Company was organized with 20 members and incorporated under the laws of the State of New York.  In 1894 a firehouse was built on Main Street for $300.00.  Mr. Purcell was the biggest contributor so the company was named after him. Their were approximately 30 members at the time.  

In 1896 the village secured the transfer of an independent fire company, which had been formed several years previous to the Purcell Company. One month later this company was given proper recognition as the Valatie Fire Company No. 1.  An engine house was built and a few years later in 1921 they organized the Lafayette Hose Company and No. 1 and the Lafayette Chemical Company.

In 1924 they purchased their first motorized apparatus, a REO combination chemical and hose truck.   Later in the year it was turned into a 500 gallon pumper built by Foamite Childs Corp. of Utica, NY. The cost of the truck to the Village was $1,500.00

On March 9, 1933, a proposal by Harry Smith of the Lafayette Chemical Fire Company to procure a first aid kit to help those fireman injured at a fire scene was the first step in the birth of the Valatie Volunteer Rescue Squad.  Over the next few meetings, first aid courses were discussed, one of those being "Modern Methods of First Aid".  On May 11, 1933, the first relief squad was appointed.  To read more about the history of the Valatie Rescue Squad, click here.

The next new truck came in 1952 when they purchased a new Ford a 500 gallon combination truck.  In July of 1965 the village built a four bay firehouse. In August of the same year they bought a 1965 Oren firetruck. It was a 750 gallon a minute pumper.  In 1975 they bought a 1959 Seagrave 100 foot aerial ladder truck to in case of a fire in some of the taller buildings in the village at a cost of $5,000.00. To accommodate the aerial truck a bay was added to the firehouse by the Village in January of 1977. Click here to see pictures of trucks that we no longer use.

In 1989 the Village purchased its first new truck in 24 years when the 1952 ford was replaced with a 1989 Quality at a cost of $108,000.00.

In 1993, a 1977 Peter Pirch 100 ft. ladder truck was bought from Ulster Hose in Kingston N.Y. for $55,000.00 with the help of a state grant. The 1959 ladder truck which could no longer be certified was then sold and retired from the fire service by its new owner.

In January of 2000 the 1959 Mack and 1965 Ford was replaced with a 2000 KME on a Navistar 4900 series 4 door. This truck cost $194,000.00.  In 2003, the Department took delivery on its first mini-pumper.