Millerton’s fire department marks 134 years of battling blazes

Millerton’s volunteer fire department has spent more than 130 years protecting the village, a legacy that began after a fire ravaged and destroyed a prominent hotel in 1891.

North East Fire District Commissioner Dave Vandebogart, who serves as the fire company’s historian, is himself a third-generation member of the Millerton Fire Company. He said Millerton’s rapid growth after the arrival of the railroad spurred the need for an organized fire department.

At the time, building codes didn’t exist and materials were much more flammable. Densely populated communities like the newly-formed Millerton could face devastation if a fire broke out and spread through the community.

That fear materialized in January 1891, Vandebogart said, when the Millerton Hotel near the intersection of John Street and Center Street caught fire. Village residents banded together with buckets to try to douse the flames, but the effort wasn’t enough to save the building. The incident highlighted a need for an organized fire company with proper firefighting equipment.

The fire company officially formed in January 1892, after village trustees met at the Millerton National Bank and voted to create a local fire company. Trustees later elected to name the company the E.H. Thompson Hose Company in honor of the bank’s president, who provided the venue for the trustees’ early meetings.

A truck lies on its side after losing control and striking the barrier at the “checkerboard corner” on Route 22 south of the intersection with Route 44. Archive photo

The newly-formed hose company soon purchased a horse-drawn hose cart, complete with a 500-foot hose, wrenches and 28 pails for carrying water. An additional horse-driven cart carried nine ladders.

The fire company’s first official home was a building that still stands at the corner of Dutchess Avenue and Century Boulevard in Millerton, neighboring the building that houses EcoBuilders and Moore & Moore Printing. That building was constructed in 1902 and named the E.H. Thompson Fire House to further honor the Millerton National Bank’s president.

Millerton’s fire department slowly grew, expanding its equipment collection until a new firehouse was necessary and constructed in 1962. That building on Century Boulevard still serves as the company’s main firehouse today and is currently undergoing renovations to its exterior.

Firefighters have had to staff the firehouse 24/7 on multiple occasions during the village’s history — including in 1969 when a massive snowstorm shut down Route 22 for two days and two nights.

People crowded the firehouse for a warm place to stay as the snowstorm stranded travelers and forced some locals out of their homes. Everyone was stuck until large snow blowers arrived from Poughkeepsie to clear Route 22.

But Vandebogart said the fire company faces more profound challenges than just fighting fires. Changing demographics in the area and increased training standards have created challenges for the volunteer organization.

“Everything is modeled for career,” Vandebogart said, highlighting a shift over recent decades toward professional emergency medical services and firefighters nationwide. As that shift has occurred, safety standards and training requirements have risen across the board, placing a larger burden on volunteers.

A volunteer firefighter monitors an active blaze.Archive photo

Another challenge is attracting new members. In 2017, the Millerton Fire Company ran a program known as “Explorers,” which allowed teenagers from 14 and up to participate in volunteer work at the firehouse.

But that program folded due to staffing issues, and the North East Fire District Board of Commissioners has proposed a policy limiting volunteer participation to those no younger than 16 at its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 21.

Vandebogart said the rising cost of living in the region further exacerbates recruitment challenges. As costs increase, younger generations of Millertonians have become less likely to stay in the community to build a life.

“Membership kind of ebbs and flows,” Vandebogart said. “It is hard to keep young people around here.”

Looking toward the future, Vandebogart said the fire company hopes to avoid having to transition to professional firefighting for as long as possible.

“We’re just trying to keep it volunteer,” Vandebogart said.