F.B. Peck Hose Company

Northside Fire District #1

85 Saratoga Avenue

Waterford, New York 12188

(518) 235-4609

: News Bulletin :

Northside Fire District received $41,168 from FEMA on August 22^nd 2003. Daniel Sheffer, Dennis Farrar, and Glen Farrar received word that the money they requested for much needed equipment for the department, would finally come through. After being turned down last year, our department can now take major step forward and purchase expensive technical equipment used for firefighting. The major piece of equipment that will be purchased is a thermal imaging camera. This device is used to find trapped victims in a burning building where visibility is non-existent. This special camera reads heat signatures given off by the body. It can also be used in nighttime search and rescue and locating fire behind walls. It will be the first thermal imaging camera for this department and the first for the residents of Waterford. Other pieces of equipment which will be purchased include, new air packs used in interior structural firefighting, new boots and helmets for all active firefighters, a new waterous portable pump which will be used to pump out cellars and draft water from ponds and rivers, a laptop computer with a digital projector and digital camera for training, and finally, cooling vests designed to keep firefighters body temperature down while working in conditions where extreme heat is present. Over the years, we have only been able to buy one major piece of equipment a year because of the costly prices. We are very fortunate to receive this grant because there is a limited amount of money that the government has to give out. Over 300,000 departments throughout the United States applied and fewer than 2,800 departments have received funding, with a total of $170 million given out. This department will continue to strive forward to protect the residents of Waterford while always looking to improve the safety of our firefighters.

History:

F.B. Peck Hose Company (Northside Fire District) proudly protects 4000 people living in an area of 4 square miles. We operate out of 1 station that protects a primarily residential area. Our department is a public department whose members are on a volunteer status.

Founded in 1886, the Fire Company has had three buildings to call home. In 1997 the Fire Company moved into its new modern building constructed on the previous building’s parking lot. The new building has a three bay drive-thru configuration with room for six pieces of apparatus. Within the facility there is a meeting room, district and chief’s offices, workout area, full kitchen, three bathrooms, and a firefighter’s room. We currently have four trucks and a rescue boat that are in service.

Personnel:

Name	Rank
Joseph Ashworth	Chief, EMT
Daniel Sheffer	Asst. Chief
Christopher Maloney	Captain
Shawn Gilbert	1st Asst. Captain
Daniel Ball	2nd Asst. Captain, EMT
Jesse Goot	Lieutenant
Frank Smith	EMS Captain, AEMT
Dennis Farrar	Firefighter, EMT, Commissioner, Past Chief
Kevin Farrar	Firefighter
Glen Farrar	Firefighter, Past Chief
Robert LeClair	Firefighter
Randy LeClair	Firefighter
Susan LeClair	Firefighter
Josh Roy	Firefighter, CFR
Stanley Grochmal	Firefighter, Commissioner, Past Chief
Timothy O’Neil	Firefighter
George Quick	Firefighter, EMT, Town Fire Inspector
David Gardner	Firefighter, Past Chief
Kelley LaPlant	Firefighter
Micheal Maloney	Firefighter, EMT
William McCormick	Firefighter, EMT
Dennis Hebert	Firefighter, Commissioner, Past Chief
Russell Robinson	Firefighter, EMT
Andrew Williams	Firefighter, AEMT
Adam Mullen	Firefighter
Mark Earl	Firefighter
Chester DeBell	Firefighter
Stephanie Cody	Junior Firefighter
Henry Roy	Firefighter, Commissioner, Past Chief
Joseph Cerroni	Firefighter
Bryan Ashworth	Junior Firefighter
Donald Klingbeil	Firefighter, Past Chief
Heather Falcone	Firefighter, EMT
Michael Quick	Firefighter, EMT
Scott Mayer	Firefighter
Neil Roylance	Firefighter

Apparatus:

ER-461 1999 Central States HME Engine Rescue: 1500gpm Hale Two Stage Centrifugal Pump with a 500gl Poly Water Tank. This truck is our first due engine to all fire calls and holds all of our extrication and rope rescue equipment. It also holds 1000ft of 5”, 600ft of 2”, and 500ft of 3” hose. This truck is capable of holding up to nine firefighters and is capable of rehabbing personnel during summer and winter seasons because of its large enclosed cab.

E-462 1972 Seagrave Engine: 1250gpm Seagrave Two Stage Centrifugal Pump with 500gal water tank. This truck is our second due engine and holds our chain saws and various other pieces of equipment. It also holds 1000ft of 5”, 500ft. of 1 ½”, and 700ft of 3” hose. This truck is capable of holding up to four firefighters.

U-464 1997 GMC 3500 Four Door Light Rescue: This truck is our first response vehicle for all EMS calls. It also responds to all other calls. It holds a various array of equipment from EMS supplies, to pumps and generators. It has a custom body and can hold a large amount of equipment. This truck is capable of holding up to five firefighters.

M-463 1984 Chevy 3500 Four Door Light Rescue: This truck is used for service calls such as pump outs and traffic control. It is equipped with ten small submergible pumps and a large high volume portable pump. It also is equipped with a built in generator with cord reels on both sides of the truck. This truck is capable of holding up to five firefighters.

MR-465 1990 Bass Tracker Rescue Boat: This is our newest addition to our fleet. It has a 50-horse Mercury engine and has various pieces of equipment that deal with water rescue. It is also equipped with a small high-pressure pump for boat fires. This boat can seat up to four persons.

“Old E-461” 1955 Seagrave Pumper: This is our parade truck but also signifies the history and pride of our company. Although it is 48 years old, you would never know. Everything works like new including the 750gpm brass pump. This truck has remained in such meticulous shape because of its Chauffeur Henry Roy.

Services Provided:

• Fire Protection
• First Response Emergency Medical Service BLS
• Vehicle Extrication
• Water, Rope, and Land Search and Rescue
• Various Service Calls

Recruitment:

We are always looking for new members. We offer as many hours as anyone would like to work with no pay. This is a strictly volunteer department but the rewards are endless.

Our fire company has implemented a new program for 16 and 17 year olds. The program allows youths of this age to become members of the fire company and be allowed to train and perform firefighting skills under the supervision of trained members. So far the program has been working very well. We are also proud to announce, that one of our junior members received a $1500 college scholarship from New York State for volunteering in our department. Each year we will continue to sponsor our youth in the department and be able to open doors for their future. We are a close-knit department that continues to grow. Each year, we become more skilled on the challenging tasks that we perform for the safety of our community. Many of our members are well trained in the EMS (Emergency Medical Service) which is a service we provide free of cost to all Northside residences. We attend many training seminars throughout the year given by New York State fire training schools.

Events:

Again in 2004 the F.B. Peck Hose Company had another great year for our "Children’s Toy Drive" for the children of Northside and the Village of Waterford. As last year, this event has been a great success due to the great generosity of the residents of Waterford and surrounding areas. We are happy to say all of the children whose names were given to us, had a joyful Christmas.

We are currently accepting new toys and donations to buy more. You can drop items off at the firehouse next to the bay doors located in the front, south side of the building.

For Your Info:

Cold Weather Tips

Did You Know?

o Heating accounts for the biggest portion of winter energy bills, about 50-60%.

o For each degree you lower your thermostat in winter, you can save 3% on your heating bill.

o If you can slide a playing card through the crevice of an outside door or window, you need more weather-stripping.

Tips

• Make sure your furnace receives a professional tune-up each year.
• Clean or replace the air filter on your furnace once a month.
• Find a Building Performance Institute (BPI)-certified Home Performance with ENERGY STAR^® contractor to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your home.
• Kitchen and dryer vents are often poorly sealed where they pass through walls or ceilings. Use heat-resistant caulking and metal collar plates to fix faulty seals.
• Air sealing effects the amount of combustion air available for your heating system. Have a BPI-certified Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor perform a comprehensive home assessment on your home to check for this interaction.
• If you have a fireplace, install glass doors and close the damper to keep heated air from escaping up the chimney.
• Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable.
• Install a programmable thermostat. It can be set to raise or lower the temperature of your home to coordinate with your schedule, so you don't pay for heat you're not enjoying. They cost about $25 and will lead to instant savings in energy bills.
• Caulk and weatherstrip around doors and windows.
• Keep furniture away from radiators and heating registers where they can block heat from entering the room.

Home Energy Use

Did You Know?

o About 35% of all electricity is used to run homes.

o You could use 30% LESS energy in your home just by using energy more wisely and purchasing products with the ENERGY STAR.

o Where does your home use energy?
- 60% - Air conditioning/heat
- 16% - Water heater
- 12% - Refrigerator
- 7% - Lights
- 5% - Computers, TV, etc.

o You can find the ENERGY STAR on refrigerators, clothes washers, computers, dishwashers, room air conditioners, TVs, VCRs, dehumidifiers, and ceiling fans.

o The amount of electricity you use is measured in, and priced by, kilowatt-hours (kWh). When you pay for a kilowatt-hour of electricity, you are paying for 1,000 watts of electricity used continuously for one hour.

o You can calculate the operating cost of any electrical appliance by checking its wattage and using these formulas:
- wattage x hours used/1,000 = kWh
- kWh x cost per kWh = operating cost

Tips

o Look for the ENERGY STAR, the symbol for energy efficiency, when shopping for major appliances and lighting products.

For more information on energy saving products and tips visit, www.GetEnergySmart.org or call toll free 1-877-NYsmart.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 marks a day everyone in the Fire/EMS Services will never forget. Our deepest regrets go out to all those that have been affected by that terrible incident. On September 14th and 15th members from the F.B. Peck Hose Co., Waterford Fire Dept. and The Waterford Rescue Squad joined together and collected money for the NYC Relief Fund. We presented a check to the American Red Cross for the amount of $30,000. We thank all that gave so generously to this cause.