Address:   31Owen Street, Port Jervis, NY 12771

Phone number:  845 858-4044

Officers: Captain William P. Conklin, Jr., First Lieutenant Kenneth Carr, Second Lieutenant Chris Murphy, President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Chief Driver, Drivers, Fire Police, Alternates to the Department, any others?

Members as of August - 2008:  Gerald Acton, Charles F. Baumgardner, Sr., Charles F. Baumgardner, Jr., Lester R. Conklin, Jr., Samantha S. Conklin, Ross Decker, Roy Decker, Henry H. Dunn III, Jeffrey Ewing, Jr., Jeffrey Ewing, Sr., Raymond Finch, Thomas Galanakis, Earl J. Garrity, James Gill, James Gray, John Gushue, Harold V. Howlett, Craig W. Hurtak, Catherine A. Kaufman, Lester King, Louis W. Kinnear, George M. Kurtz, Barry Longwell, Sr., Nicholas Maiorana, Kevin J. McKeon, George Mills, Jr., Christian Murphy, Kevin Murphy, Chris Outer, Michael Petry, Chris A. Reed, Joseph Rennish, Stanley B. Siegel, Arthur F. Smith, Brian Vanderveer, Willaim VanHorn, William H. Young, Jr.

Vehicle information: ENGINE 824:  1999 American LaFrance, 1500 GPM pump, 600 Gal. tank, 54’ Squirt water boom.

Specialized Units/Equipment: 

Howard Wheat Engine Company No. 4 was organized in October 1877 under the name of Everitt Hose Company No. 4, with Edward G. Tibbetts as president and John Cuff as foreman.  It became the sixth fire company in the Port Jervis Volunteer Fire Department.  Its name was chosen in honor of Martin C. Everitt, who at that time was a member of the Board of Village Trustees.  The company’s chief organizer was Everitt’s son, John E. Everitt, who was also known as "Colonel" or "Jack." 

A majority of the charter members were young men, and in fact the required age for membership was made lower than any other companies in town.

The company’s first truck house was a small shed at the corner of Ball and Owen streets, which was later used as a blacksmith shop. The second home for the company was on Owen Street, which was later sold to a saw factory.

In 1878, the new home for Everitt Hose Company was viewed as an ornament to the village and was a source of much pride to its members.  The hose carriage that was pulled to fires by its members, however, was described as the refuse of the department.  It was not uncommon to see Hose Company 4 leaving its firehouse with over 30 members on ropes pulling their hose carriage and arriving at the fire in good season.

In 1883, the name of the organization was changed to Port Jervis Hose Company No. 4.   

During the turn of the century, Hose 4 moved into a new two-story brick firehouse located at 17 Seward Avenue.    

In 1903, a new member named Howard Wheat joined the ranks of Hose 4 and was elected chief engineer of the department in 1912. 

In 1915, the company purchased a secondhand chassis at their own expense and did all of the work themselves to make a suitable body and convert it to a fire truck.  The result was that they soon had in service a piece of apparatus to quickly answer all alarms of fire.  Such was the introduction of motor fire trucks to Port Jervis. This company-created firetruck became the first motorized pumper in the fire department.

 In 1920, the company took delivery of a White fire engine which was used until a 1937 American LaFrance was purchased.  This  1937, twelve-cylinder vehicle, which had a deck nozzle behind the driver, enabled firefighters to become even more effective in the war against fire. 

In 1936, it was decided to re-name the company in honor of member Howard Wheat, who had recently passed away.  Wheat had made an impres­sive mark as chief of the department, an elected position he held for nearly 25 years.

 In 1954, a new Ward La France was delivered. This was the first radio-equipped pumper in the city.  The apparatus had a 750 GPM pump with a 350-gallon booster tank and permanently mounted deck gun.  Other apparatus could feed the deck gun directly through the 2 ½ inch Siamese Wyes.  This apparatus was later purchased by the membership of the company when it was to be traded in for a new 1976 apparatus.  The 1954 vehicle was completely restored by company members under the direction and work of longtime member James C. Gill.  It remains in the company’s possession and is used annually for parades.  The main oil lamp, which was ornamental in design, and the two oil side lamps from the hose carriage were also refinished and are displayed in the Hose 4’s firehouse meeting room.

 In the early 1960’s, company members Charles “Chuck” Baumgardner and Charles Decker started a scuba diving squad by teaching diving skills to qualify volunteer firemen as divers.  This program began under the direction of Chief Raymond Harding and was seen as necessary due to the many local rivers and lakes.  Baumgardner went on to become the department chief after first being elected to 2^nd Assistant Chief in 1967.

 Howard Wheat Engine Company No. 4 had another first in the department’s history with the delivery of a 1976 American LaFrance apparatus.  This pumper was powered by a diesel engine and was painted lime yellow to give it higher visibility.  It boasted a SQURT, which is an articulating water boom and which was able to reach a height of 54 feet.  This was the first SQURT in operation in Orange County and one of only three in New York State.  This was also the first lime green truck ever owned by the department.

 In Feburary of 1990, Theora Harriet became the company’s first female firefighter. 

 In July of 1996 voters approved the construction of a new $430,000 firehouse on Rupp’s field at 31 Owen Street, which is only a few feet away from the company’s original circa 1878 Owen Street firehouse.  It was the first Port Jervis firehouse to have a drive through truck bay with overhead doors at each end.  The building has a kitchen, lounge, office and meeting room (which is also the voting location for Fourth Ward voters).