Sharon

Neversink Engine Company No. 1

Company name: Neversink Engine Company No. 1

Address: 25 Orange Street, Port Jervis, NY 12771

Phone number: 845 858-4011

Officers as of August - 2008: Captain Matthew Moore, First Lieutenant Kenneth DeGroat, Second Lieutenant James Kinzel, Jr., President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Chief Driver, Drivers, Fire Police, Alternates to the Department, any others?

Members as of August - 2008: Robert Barber, George Belcher, Jr., George Belcher, Sr., Jeffrey Bodensieck, William Brewster, Robert D. Cassidy, Michael J. Cicalese, Joseph N. Cox, Joseph Curtis, Diane DeGroat, Kristen DeGroat, Daved DeLa Cruz, George Haas, Donald Hannigan, Fred Harding, Bruno W. Hartmann II, David R. Henry, Ralph Hessberger, Dennis Horner, Jr., Dennis Horner, Sr., Jerry L. Horner, Miranda L. Horner, Carol Dubois, James H. Kinzel, Jr., Preston Kinzel, Tyler Kinzel, Steven Kolvenbach, Peter N. Kowal, Robert Launt, Lyn Mason, Robert G. Mason, Senie M. Mason, Francis May, Wayne McBride, William McCann, Thomas P. McKeon, David Mills, Robert J. Mills, David D. Moore, Matthew Moore, Gary W. Morgan, Christpher M. Morok, Lawrence Murray, Tim Navitsky, James H. Ranich, James Reilly, Jeffrey S. Rhoades, Lloyd Rhoades, Stephen Rhoades, Gregory Robinson, Scott Robinson, James W. Rohner, James W. Rohner III, Paul S. Rupp, Richard Senkiew, John P. Shannon, John P. Shannon, Jr., John Shimer, David C. Smith, Lester Smith, Brent Spoonhower, Barton W. Struble, Russell Von Sauers

Vehicle information: ENGINE 821: 1999 American LaFrance, 1500 GPM pump, 1000 Gal. tank, 30 Gal. foam

Specialized equipment:

Company History

In 1847, the first fire company in Port Jervis was given legal standing by a certificate granted by the town supervisor and appointment by the Town Board. N.B. Mondon was appointed as the first official fireman.

In 1850, this first company was named Port Jervis Fire Company No.1 although it was still privately owned and would remain so for many years.

The company’s first apparatus was a wooden-decked hand-operated unit known as a “goose neck” because of its appearance. It required 12 men to operate this pumper. Whether or not it was better than the bucket brigade is believed by today’s members to most likely have been a point of discussion at the time.

On February 27, 1857, the company was re-organized and named H.H. Farnum Co., with Augustus B. Goodale as Foreman, Samuel Corwin as Assistant Foreman, and Peter Mulhern as Secretary-Treasurer.

In 1858, Jacob Brant, a member of Delaware Hose Co. No. 2, was elected as the village’s first Chief Engineer and Peter Mulhern was elected as the village’s First Assistant.

In the 1860’s, village officials were considering the establishment of a second fire company, and on May 10, 1870 at a Fowler House meeting, 68 members signed up and chose the name Neversink Hose Company No. 1, with Stephen D. Boyce as Foreman.

On July 14, 1873, the privately owned H.H. Farnum Company’s name was changed to Abbott Steam Fire Engine Co. and remained privately owned until it was legally disbanded on December 4, 1876. At that time the company’s equipment and Orange Street firehouse were given to the village company, Neversink Hose Company No. 1.

Neversink operated various hand and horse drawn apparatus until May 24, 1894, when $3,400 was appropriated for a new horse-drawn La France Steamer and delivery accepted later that year. Due to the arrival of the steamer, the company’s name was changed to Neversink Steamer and Hose Company No. 1 in September of 1895.

The classic steamer remained in service until early 1920,and has been retained by the company and displayed very parade day since. After the steamer was taken out of service, Neversink had a remodeled touring car to carry their hose, but no pumping capability. In 1919, with Port Jervis' population on the rise, Chief Engineer Howard Wheat went to the voters to explain Neversink and the department's need for a mechanized pumper and hose truck.

In late September 1920, the city accepted delivery of a La Frace Motor Pumper for Neversink. It was chain-driven and carried two large chemical tanks which were inverted and mixed at the scene of fires to produce a steam, such as today's hand-held soda acid extinguishers.

In 1939, this 1920 apparatus was replaced by an 800 GPM Ahrens-Fox rotary gear pumper.

In October of 1944 the company again changed its name to its current Neversink Engine Company No. 1.

The year 1957 saw the replacement of the Ahrens- Fox with a 1,000 GPM Mack pumper which remained in service until 1977. At that time Sanford supplied Neversink with a new cab-forward, diesel-powered 1,250 GPM pumper which saw service from 1977 until 1999. In 1999, the 1,500 GPM American La France remains in service today was delivered.

Neversink Engine Company No. 1 members are proud of the selfless service that they have provided since the turn of the Twentieth Century, not only to the city but also to Orange County. This includes Charles Prussia's 60-plus years of service, of which 41 were spent as Department Treasurer; Russell Eglinger’s service as Department Secretary for over 20 years, and the following which have held the various required positions to become Chief of the Department; Robert Miller, Raymond Harding, James Rohner, John Launt, and Jeffrey Rhoades. Rhoades is currently 2nd Assistant Chief of PJFD. In addition to having served as Chief, James Rohner is currently Division Deputy Fire Coordinator (OC-3) for Battalions 6, 7 & 8. George Haas also serves at the county level as Fire Investigator 14.

History compiled from various sources by Stan & Sharon Siegel – August- 2008