For over 125 years, the Pleasantville Fire Department has been proud to serve the community.

We are grateful to Russ Tompkins for his time and effort in putting the following history together. RIP - Russ

The Pleasantville Fire Department was organized in 1894. Pleasantville did not become incorporated for another three years. Like many of the other communities in Westchester during that time period, the Village was just beginning to grow and making efforts to improve quality of life. There were no streets, paved roads, municipal water, sewer, or other services. One resident who was particularly interested in community growth was William H. Jahne, the man behind the organization of the Fire Department.

Pioneer Engine Company was formed in 1894, with 63 charter members. Since a fire district had not yet been formed and taxes didn’t pay for equipment, buckets filled with water were used to extinguish fires. Joseph Huff was the first Fire Chief of the Department and served from 1894-1897.

On July 11, 1895, Department members William Jahne, Albert See, Henry Forshay, and S. Wood Cornell submitted a petition to the Board of Supervisors of the County of Westchester to form a fire district. The total value of the property submitted was $165,000 and covered an area considerably larger than what was to become the Village of Pleasantville.

On July 22, 1895, the Pleasantville Fire District was established by the County Board of Supervisors. Authority was given to the voters of the Fire District to elect a Board of Fire Commissioners. It was decided that the Board would consist of three members serving 1,2, and 3-year terms, respectively, with a new Commissioner, elected each year for a 3-year term. The first Commissioners were William H. Jahne, C.H. Scholerman, and Henry S. Forshay, along with a Treasurer appointed by the Board.

The Village of Pleasantville was incorporated in 1897. It is interesting to note many of the names that appeared on the original incorporation notice were listed as firemen.

On June 23, 1899, the Board of Fire Commissioners held a special meeting to approve members for a new company called Fire Patrol Company. The company adopted the by-laws of the White Plains Fire Patrol without any changes. Unfortunately, Fire Patrol disbanded in the summer of 1900, and all their money was given to the Board of Fire Commissioners. In November 1900, the Pioneer Fire Police was formed.

Early in 1900, the Board of Fire Commissioners passed a resolution that no fires could be started within 50 feet of any building. This was initiated after School Trustees reported a small fire in the school. To prevent future fires, pails of sand were placed in strategic areas within the school.

In November 1901, 14 residents of the Old Village petitioned the Fire Commissioners to organize a hose company. On December 2, approval was granted and the name Daniel P. Hays Hose Company was chosen. Their first meetings were held at the homes of the various members. In May 1902, the Company moved into a small two-story building on Bedford Road, located near the aqueduct crossing. It remained there until 1908, then moved to larger quarters in a building nearly opposite its present location. In 1927, Hays Hose moved to its present location and has stayed ever since. Quite a few years ago, the building underwent extensive renovation to provide adequate housing for today’s needs.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the money needed to operate the fire district in anticipation of taxes was generally borrowed from individuals. Several years expired before they borrowed from banks.

In 1902, the Fire District Budget was $1000 — primarily for new hose and other small necessary items. Today our budget is over $1,500,000. Some prices prevalent in the early 1900s — Hose Pumper (cart) was priced at $120, and Janitor’s pay was $3 per month.

In September 1904, the Board approved taking the Hook & Ladder truck to parades but directed that the ladders be left in town. In September 1909, Ossining agreed to sell their Hook & Ladder truck to Pleasantville for the sum of $250. The Hook & Ladder Company agreed to lend the Board $75 to help purchase the truck. Today, our latest Hook & Ladder truck costs $950,000. In February of 1910, our Hook &Ladder truck was sold to Sherman Park for $100.

A quick anecdote involves Archer Guion (John’s father), who joined the Fire Police in December 1909. On the way to answering an alarm on a horse-drawn truck, one of the horses dropped dead as a result of the excitement.

The first motorized equipment in Pleasantville was a Steven Duryea touring car purchased from a Mr. Fuller in Briarcliff by the Hays Hose Company. The car was altered to fit Department’s needs. It was said that the car made noises like a cyclone and traveled nearly as fast until it was permanently cut down to 2nd speed.

In May 1911, Reverend Holmes from St. John’s Episcopal Church gave the Fire Department permission to use the church bell for fire alarms. The reason for this was that Hays Hose members were having trouble hearing alarms in the Old Village area.

The Fire Department Band was first organized in 1935. Its organizers were Jack Tallman, E. Harold Vincent, and Thayer Wild. The band furnished music for parades and once gave concerts to the public throughout the area. Over the years, the number of band members who are also firefighters dwindled. Recruitment of band members was a constant problem, so much that musicians had to be hired to fill out band sections. Funds to cover the band’s operating costs came from an annual contribution by four out of the five Department Companies. Absolutely no funds are received from tax revenues. The Fire Department band was dissolved in 2018.

The fifth Company was established in 1974 as the “Junior Corps.” This group consists of high school students between the ages of 16 and 18 years.

For over 125 years, the Pleasantville Fire Department has been proud to serve the community. As in the past, the organization consists of Pleasantville residents with various occupations.