Historic parade kicks off fire department centennial

Amid the stirring music of the Ancient Order of Hibernians Irish bagpipes, the Centennial Celebration of the Greenwood Lake Fire Department began on Saturday, May 13 at noon with an historic parade joined by many regional organizations from Tuxedo, Monroe, Chester, Goshen, Pine Island, and the Villages of Florida and Warwick.

The parade route began on Court Street and then turned left onto Waterstone Road, paying homage to its previous fire house buildings, and then turned towards Windermere Avenue until reaching the new Fire House on Lakes Road. The Open House that followed until 4 p.m. included hot dogs, hamburgers, fresh salads, and plenty of beverages for both kids and grownups, with a bouncy slide and a pictorial review of the department’s early history.

Members of the Greenwood Lake Centennial Committee sold tickets to the ball drop event next month (where a Greenwood hook and ladder truck will drop over 2,000 numbered ping pong balls from its truck onto a funnel device to capture them in Winstanley Park on Windermere to raise money for its Village Centennial celebration next year).

Strong history

By the 1880’s, the need for fire protection was addressed throughout most of the country by bucket brigades. Equipment was primitive. Buckets were donated and huge locomotive wheels were used to sound the alarm (one such relic still resides outside the new firehouse building), requiring a strong arm to swing the sledgehammer hanging beside the steel wheel or to hand water-filled buckets on the line. The water-filled bucket brigade process was insufficient, however, and many buildings were lost. In March 23, 1923, the Greenwood Lake Fire Department was officially organized with 56 charter members.

“The Greenwood Lake is indebted to its founding members for its dedication and volunteer efforts to keep the Village of Greenwood Lake safe for its early residents 100 years ago,” Fire Chief Alex Nicholas said. “The steadfast commitment of the succeeding generations of volunteers continues to be the reason that our Village exists today and continues to thrive.”

Modern programs

The Greenwood Lake Fire Volunteer Department (GLFD) was established to protect and conserve the lives and properties of the general public within the boundaries of Greenwood Lake Fire Protection District. The Department’s duties include: Fire Suppression, Search & Rescue, Accident Victim Extrication, Waterborne Fire Suppression & Rescue, and Community Fire Prevention & Safety Programs. To this end the men and women of the Greenwood Lake Volunteer Fire Department are proud to serve Community in the Fire District with honor and bravery. The company welcomes volunteers who will be trained to fight fires and protect Village properties.

To learn more about the history of the Greenwood Lake Volunteer Fire Department, log onto https://www.glfd.net/ the GLFD’s Facebook page. Purchase a chance to win $1,500 in the the ball drop event by logging onto https://gwlcentennial.org.