Bethpage Fire Department 100th Anniversary

The below information is taken from the CPHS Newsletter, October 2010.

As Bethpage celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Bethpage Fire Department, Bob Albertson shares his reflections of growing up in Bethpage. He tells about the times, the people, especially his experience and memories of the original fire house on Stewart Avenue when his father served as chief, 1945-1947.

I was born in 1936, the year Bethpage celebrated the name change of the town from Central Park. I lived on Broadway and Railroad Plaza from 1936 till 1940. Our next door neighbors were the Cavas, they owned and managed the drug store downstairs. Margaret Cava Carvo remembered my father racing down the stairs, two or three steps at a time, when the fire siren was sounded at all hours of the day and night.

A favorite story of his was, one Sunday afternoon he was playing baseball at the town field (corner of Benkert Street and Stewart Avenue). When the fire alarm sounded all the firemen raced to the firehouse on Stewart Avenue, across from the Beau Sejour, jumped on the trucks and proceeded to Broadway and the railroad tracks. Smoke was coming out of the windows of my mothers and father's apartment. Now the firemen raced up the stairs to the apartment and found that a kerosene stove had been left on and gave off oily black smoke. Fortunately there was no fire damage, but my mom and dad worked for days scrubbing off the soot from the ceiling and walls.

When I was 4 years old mom and dad were able to purchase the house on Norcross Avenue, this was just prior to WWII, and my dad was able to get a job at Grumman. I guess we were in the house a short while when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and that was the beginning of WWII.

This was the time of black outs and air raid wardens patrolled the streets making sure no lights were visible. This was also the time of rationing, especially gasoline. I can remember my father running from our house on Norcross Avenue to the firehouse to answer an alarm in an effort to conserve gasoline. Incidentally, there was no Cambridge Avenue and the southern part of Concord Avenue was not developed so one could run the distance quickly and easily.

As I grew older my dad would allow me to go with him to the firehouse, located on Stewart Avenue. To a little kid this was awesome and intimidating to see these fire trucks facing Stewart Avenue ready to go. While I was there one day a call came in. The siren sounded and one of the men in the group reached up for the telephone, I think they called it a candlestick phone on a folding device, and he asked for the location of the alarm. Meanwhile the men began putting on rubber rain coats, hip length boots, fire helmet now ready to go. The trucks started and the man on the phone gave the location of the emergency and at the same time wrote the location on a black board near the phone, the reason being, after the first group left the firehouse the next person to respond would know where to go.

Standing there I was awestruck as to how orderly the men performed. At the time I noticed on the wall was an electrical box with a light bulb above it, every time the siren sounded the light bulb would light up. This stayed lit until somebody shut it off.

I always wondered how the alarm in the firehouse was activated. Little did I know, I was about to learn the procedure first hand. I don't know the year, maybe 1946-1947, I severely sprained my ankle, and naturally we went to Dr. Luttge who gave me the proper treatment. While I was in his office the fire phone rang and a woman in the office answered the phone and took the information then pushed a button that activated the fire siren. The first person in the firehouse picked up the phone and got the emergency information from Dr. Luttge's office and proceeded from there.

Another recollection from WWII was each fireman had his picture taken for his badge to identify him as a fireman. The reason being, I do not know how true, but somebody got into the firehouse and was stealing gas out of the trucks. Yes, gas rationing was a tough issue.

Another thought came to mind. It was near the end of the war (1945 I guess) many firemen were called to active duty in the military, and left the department short-handed. The Fire Commissioners made the decision to lower the age of eligibility to be a firemen from 18 years of age to 16. A great opportunity for the young men to become active firefighters. My brother, Eugene Albertson, Howard Benkert, Eugene Sengstacken, John Razzini, the names I can recall, jumped at the chance to join and they proved they could do the job.

My dad was chief of the department 1945-1947. I can remember him coming home from a department meeting, get into bed, and then telling mom, "you know I don't think I turned out all the lights." He would get up, dress, and go back to the firehouse only to find all the lights were out. He was so concerned about the cost of leaving the lights on.

Getting back to when I was a kid, I can remember when the department got the 1943 Mack Pumper. The district required it because of the concerns and responsibilities presented by having Grumman Aircraft, in our community, the facility could have been selected for attack during the war. Also, all chrome on the truck was painted red. You could not have a flashy looking truck at that time.

I remember going down stairs, in the firehouse, to a little kitchen area. When the Mack Truck was being backed into its position, above me, being readied as the first due truck at any emergency, what a scarey sensation that was! It was amazing how the floor creaked and groanded at the weight of this, at the time, huge fire truck. After all, the floor was held up by tree trunks cut from trees in the area.

Another time I was at the firehouse after an alarm had sounded, all the trucks were responding, the Mack, the GMC, and the GMC ladder truck. The only truck left was the Garford or Larabee, I don't know which one, but when Bill Auer came in read the board and decided another pumper was needed at the scene. I was amazed when Bill and another fireman went over to this truck, and Bill cranked it and it started. It had a canvas dashboard, glass windshield, a hand cranked siren, and away they went. I don't know how they helped, but you can see the dedication that these men had.

When my dad was chief I can remember most of the trucks: they had the Mack, GMC, GMC ladder truck, and a Packard rescue vehicle. I don't know if the Larabee or Garford were ready to go at that time. The Packard was originally a limousine of Louie Maggie who donated it to the district. It was reconfigured as a rescue vehicle.

Another memory for me was V.J. Day, the end of WWII. Upon hearing the news, my dad and I went to the firehouse, and my mom went to a neighbor to celebrate this big event. The firehouse was alive with firemen and whoever celebrating this great event. They uncoiled the ropes to the old bell and rang it loudly and long. I grabbed a rope and was pulled off my feet from the swinging bell (today that bell sits proudly in front of headquarters building on Broadway). All around people were laughing, yelling, hugging, and kissing everyone. I can remember one of the Marrone brothers riding on the fender of a car firing a pistol in the air. What a celebration!

Yes, many happy and interesting memories of growing up in Bethpage and the early days of the BFD on Stewart Avenue. Some of the firemen I can remember from that time are: Harold Koster, Fred Benkert, Charles Ludwig, Sal Greco Sr., Ed Thorne, Lou Maggie, Bill DeFanis, Bill Auer, Harold Looney, Mike Simone, Claus Teiderman, Dr. Luttge, Commissioner Henry Strauber.

Below information taken from CPHS Newsletter - October 2009

Frank DeBobes came to our meeting prepared with many pictures he has collected to document the Fire Service in Central Park/Bethpage over the years. Frank crdited the efforts of the late Dorothy Albertson, Bill Benintendi, Jim Comerford, and Frank Pendl for their collection of pictures and artifacts and Larry Phillips, now residing in North Dakota, for his contributions.

Here is Frank's overview of the proud history of the Bethpage Fire Department which got its start in 1910, when it was known as the Central Park Fire Department, and the fire house was located on the east side of Stewart Avenue north of the PAL building of today. A Historic Marker documents the location. The dues to belong to the first fire department was one 4" X 8" sheet of sheetrock which one had to install in the new fire house. Frank went on to tell of the many changes that have taken place over the past 100 years. From sounding of the alarm by striking a huge iron ring with a sledge hammer on to todays sophisticated radio system to alert the firefighter; the horse drawn apparatus has been replaced by sophicated and safer firefighting equipment of today including aerial ladder trucks, pumpers, tatical rescue equipment all to protect the people and property in the 7 1/2 square mile area of the Bethpage Fire District. From the fire house on Stewart Avenue on to a new headquarters building on Broadway in 1949, and in 1956 two substations were built, one in the north side of town on Stewart Avenue and the other on Union Avenue to cover the southern area. Today a firefighter and rescue personnel, to meet the high standards of professionalism, are required to pass advanced training and instruction. What has not changed is the dedication of the men and women who have volunteered over the past 100 years.

Frank paid tribute to Firefighters Captain Joseph Dunn and Firefighter Robert Hasset who perished in the line of duty on May 25,1978, and Brian Hickey, a member of the department, who gave his life in a rescue effort as a New York City Firefighter on 9/11.