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There's Nothing Stronger Than The Heart of a Volunteer

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Welcome to The Fire House The Pulteney Volunteer Fire Department is an all Volunteer Department that takes pride in the community we serve. Our members constantly drill and take courses locally and at the New York State Fire Academy to better serve our community. The Department has a proud and lengthy tradition of community service, which would not have been possible without the unending support of our members and the residents of Pulteney.  The mission of The Pulteney Volunteer Fire Department is to "save lives, protect property and the environment, and ensure fire fighter safety and survival." In early America the first fire departments were mostly volunteer "bucket brigades." Then came fire companies organized on a voluntary basis. The town of Pulteney's fire company was started in 1936, after a raging fire destroyed the Wagstaff home. It being located in the center of town, the fire endangered not only the neighboring homes but also business'. A bucket brigade was organized to contain the blaze. The only equipment the town had at the time were two hand drawn chemical type extinguishers. This fire was a wake up call, it worried the entire community. They now knew how unprotected their homes were. The very next day Wade Logan and Lloyd Norton, realized the necessity of organized fire protection. They circulated a petition to obtain permission from the town board to form a volunteer fire company. When permission was granted, 40 members of the community immediately joined to form the "Pulteney Volunteer Fire Company." It was decided that a central location for the fire house headquarters, would be most appropriate. The members negotiated and decided that the best location was the Wagstaff property. They acquired the property, cleaned up the chard remains and soon after built a 20' X 28' two story cement block structure. The fire equipment was housed on the ground floor, the upper level was used as a meeting room. Charles Minnerly Sr. was the first fire chief to serve and the first commissioner was Frank Burger. They purchased their first fire truck in 1936, a used Ward La France Pumper for $600. It was an open can construction and it had an excellent pump, but lacked the speed required for fire fighting. The firemen purchased their first smart uniforms in 1940, they looked impressive marching in parades with their white shirts, black ties and trousers. The P.V. F. Co. was one of the most active in New York - Pennsylvania Volunteer Fire Association. The men captured prizes for the most in line, equipment contest, hose laying contests, and bucket brigade races. The most unusual prize they won was the hydrant contest at Horseheads, NY. Having no hydrants in the village of Pulteney, the men went to Hammondsport for their training. After three years of service, it became necessary to replace the first fire truck, to better protect the community. A second Ward La France designed pumper was purchased. The old truck was stripped of any useful equipment and put on the new truck. The pumper served the community for almost twenty years, and was the sole moveable apparatus until 1957. When the tank truck, and emergency squad truck were added, it became necessary to add an edition to the fire house. Approximately 850 sq. feet of room was added to house the new equipment. The fire company also erected a fire siren in the village. The Pulteney Volunteer Fire Company 607-868-3003 Emergencies Dial 911 Web Master Dan Radigan dradigan@PulteneyFire.com © 2009 All Rights reserved The Pulteney Volunteer Fire Fighters Web Design by Dan and Don Radigan