PINE PLAINS — The Pine Plains Hose Company celebrated new volunteers and honored past and current members Saturday, April 12, with a dinner at Lia’s Mountain View Restaurant.
The fire company was established in 1895, and according to Fire Chief Keith Bancroft, the installation dinner has been held by the company for at least 40 years.
"We responded to 139 calls last year and I couldn’t even begin to figure out how many man hours that is," Bancroft said. "The calls include auto accidents, fire alarms and pretty much everything else."
As part of the dinner, Julia Koons received an award for serving as an active member of the rescue squad for 30 years.
Also, former Fire Chief Tom McGhee received a past chief award for serving the community, given by Lenny Morrison, president of the Millerton Fire Department, and John Murphy of County Car No. 1.
Bancroft said members of mutual aid companies from around the area attend the dinner to offer their support. At Saturday’s dinner, fellow firefighters and emergency personnel came from Ancram, Millerton, Amenia, Stanfordville and Milan.
"It’s important to look out for your neighbors and to be involved in your community," Bancroft said. "Our volunteers are all very motivated. They are very good on response to calls. They are here to serve the community and they are here for the right reasons."
Bancroft said the department currently has 200 members but more are needed to serve the growing community.
"We always need more volunteers because we never have enough help," he said. "It gets hard during the day. The more members we get, the better chance we get of covering all hours of the day."
To learn more about the Pine Plains Hose Company or to volunteer, call 518-398-1311.
