A Brief History of Schenectady, NY and the
The Schenectady Fire Department through the years
As Schenectady's population grew, so too did the quantity - and complexity- of the buildings surrounding the Erie Canal. The city grew from the area known as The Stockade to the East, South and West,, assimilating areas called Goose Hill, Bellevue, Hungry Hill, Mont Pleasant and Woodlawn, swallowing farmland and woodland alike. As the city grew, the small independent fire companies which protected the various communities began to grow and interact more and more, until finally in 1900 the Schenectady Fire Department was chartered to protect the lives and property of the Citizens of Schenectady, under the direction of Chief Engineer Henry Yates.
In 1960, the Schenectady Fire Department became a completely Career Department, with 8 Operating Fire Stations, 10 Engine Companies, 4 Ladder Companies, and the Rescue Squad. The Department's manpower peaked in the 1970's, with more than 200 sworn personnel. The beginning of the consolidation era was at hand, however, with Station 6 on Wendell Avenue closing in 1974. Several firefighters were laid off between 1976 and 1978. Fire Station 5 on Albany Street was closed in October 1980. A new Fire Station opened in 1981 on Veeder Avenue, consolidating Station 5 and Station 1 on Erie Boulevard. This left Schenectady with 6 Fire Stations, 6 Engine Companies, and 2 Ladder Companies. However, in 1981, Schenectady's Paramedic Program went on-line, with Advanced Life Support apparatus stationed at Stations 1, 4, and 5, giving the city 24-hour per day Paramedic Coverage. The Department now had 173 Uniformed, and 5 civilian personnel.
Consolidation of Police and Fire Dispatch into a civilian system took place in the late 80's; Schenectady was facing tough times. As personnel retired, positions were left vacant. The Fire Department's Fire Prevention Division was abolished, and Deputy Chief's Aides were reassigned to other fire duties. by 1990, the manpower was reduced to 143.
Consolidation continued into the mid
1990's. On January 1, 1996, 19 firefighters were laid off, 2
Captain and 8 Lieutenant positions were eliminated. The department
lost all but 2 of its civilian personnel. In March 1996, Fire
Station 5 on Brandywine Avenue, and Fire Station 6 on Albany Street
in Woodlawn were closed, consolidating into a new Station 5 at
1515 State Street. 2-man Paramedic Rigs were taken out of service,
and paramedics were deployed onto engine companies, utilizing
Paramedic Engines whenever manpower ran short. The city now had
120 sworn positions with 2 civilians; 4 Engines, 2 Ladders, and
occasionally 1, 2, or 3 paramedic rigs.
On January 19, 1996, an extraordinary
chain of unpredicted weather cycles inundated Schenectady with
torrents of rain. Mass flooding of basements in normally dry areas,
stranded vehicles, and downed power lines became commonplace,
and the Schenectady Fire Department logged and responded to in
excess of 230 calls between 3:30pm and 2:30am. During this time,
a massively waterlogged hill became oversaturated, and erupted
into a mudslide which slammed into two vehicles, killing one motorist,
and trapping another in her vehicle. In mud the consistency of
syrup, firefighters dug in, until they were certain no other casualties
had resulted.
Calls
by Type, 1993-1996