Webmaster Note 4/5/2010:  This page will be a long term work in progress... The Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department has a very long and proud history.  This page is an attempt to chronicle our history.  Updating this page will be ongoing, check back often and enjoy the updates.  We encourage current members, past members, and members of the community to contribute their knowledge of events, corrections, and items of interest via email to info@saranaclakefire.com .

Response in Saranac Lake		First Bay Saranac Lake Firehouse
SLFD Apparatus, notice hose line stretched "bottom Left"		Dress Photo in Front of Saranac Lake Firehouse
Initial's SLFD on side of Apparatus		First Bay Saranac Lake Firehouse

Click Here to see a video history of the SLVFD created for our 125th anniversary celebration in 2016

1891 The Woodruff and Miller Hose Companies join to form the Woodruff Miller Hose Company and officially establish the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department.

1891-1899

1900-1909

1910-1919

March 9, 1914 Founder of the Woodruff Hose Company and First Chief of the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department Eugene Woodruff passes away. Click Here to Read Story.

September 8, 1917 Founder of the Miller Hose Company and Second Chief of the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department Milo B. Miller passes away.  Click here to read history

1920-1929

January 1925 Two spectacular fires destroy Saranac Lake business district:

Click her to read about the first of two fires in Howard Riley's column "You Know What" in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.

Click here  to read  about the second of two fires contributed in Howard Riley's column "You Know What" in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. 

1930-1939

1940-1949

During the tenure of Chief Ed Boon a 1942 GMC fire truck was purchased.  This truck is no longer in active service but it still currently used for parades, funerals, and other ceremonies.  It is still designated as Franklin County ETA-142.  This truck was the last fire truck produced by GMC prior to shutting down manufacturing for public fire departments due to the onset of World War II.

1950-1959

Prior to this time ambulance service in Saranac Lake was provided in a converted hearse operated by the Keough Funeral Home.  In 1955 Eugene Keough turned over the converted hearse and ambulance duty to the SLVFD officially establishing the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department, Rescue Squad. 

1960-1969

The Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department Dive Rescue, and Recovery Team was first started in 1960 by Chester Fobare. Mr. Fobare received his dive certification and then his instructors' certification. He then trained a few interested members in becoming certified divers for the department.

January 2nd 1964, The St. Regis hotel formerly on the corner of Broadway and Bloomingdale avenue burns landing the SLVFD on the April 1964 cover of Fire Engineering magazine. Take some time to read the article to learn about some spectacular and heroic rescues.

"Click the Cover of the Fire Engineering Magazine For More"

1970-1979

1980-1989

The 1981 Berkley Hotel fire lands the SLVFD on the January 1982 cover of "Firehouse Magazine" the cover photo is credited to local photographer James (Rudy) Snyder.  2 Members of the SLVFD, Kent Robinson and Kevin Tuthill are recognized as "Firemen Of The Year" by the Northern NY Volunteer Firefighter's Association for rescuing 7 people from that blaze.  This is the first time that this award is given to two firefighters as a team instead of a single individual. This fire permanently changed the look of downtown Saranac Lake in the area referred to as Berkley Square.

1987:  Mary Stunzi becomes the first woman to ever be elected to membership with the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department.

1990-1999

Members of the SLVFD provide fire coverage at the Adirondack Airport in Lake Clear for an Air Force One landing when President Bill Clinton and wife Hillary visit the Saranac Lake area.

SLVFD and surrounding departments respond to the Adirondack Airport in Lake Clear when a United Arab Emerites military C-130 Hercules traveling from the United States back to the UAE made an emergency landing and skidded off the runway.  A prop on an inboard engine dislodged and sliced through one side of the fuselage with an incision and blasted out the other side of the fuselage leaving a gaping hole and wrecking both engines on the other side.  The crew jettisoned it's fuel and much of it's heavy cargo enroute to the airport.  They were able to land with the one remaining engine but were unable to stop due to the lack of engine power before reaching the end of the runway.  Remarkably no one was injured in the incident.

1997:  The Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department launches its first website.  This early website provides basic information to the community.  The site is taken down in 2010 to facilitate the site you are viewing today.

2000-2009

September 2001- following the attacks of 9/11 several members of the SLVFD are dispatched with R-148 to provide EMS coverage in a mutual aid capacity to a staging area in New York City.  They are eventually moved forward and assist in providing EMS coverage at Ground Zero.

Members of the SLVFD provide fire coverage at the Adirondack Airport in Lake Clear for an Air Force One landing when President George W. Bush visited the Saranac Lake area.

2009 Following a call from the telivison network "Animal Planet" SLVFD's mascot and members of the SLVFD are featured internationally on "Dog's 101" in an episode featuring dalmatians.  Click here to view episode on youtube.

2010 - 2019

2010 SLVFD launches new website replacing the basic site originally launched in 1997.  In addition to enhanced graphics and information enjoyed by the public, this new website provides enhanced efficiency to members with a secure non-public area utilized to provide up to date announcements, calendar, information sharing, and documentation library.

2010 Chelsea Tremblay is elected to membership with the SLVFD.  Chelsea's mother Mary was the first woman ever elected to membership in 1987.  Chelsea's membership marks a complete generation of woman firefighters in the SLVFD and the first Mother/Daughter membership.

At noon on November 8, 2010 The newly formed Saranac Lake Volunteer Rescue Squad Inc.  Officially begins operations.  Under the auspices of this new corporate entity; The "SLVRS" is able to fund full time paid coverage  during the business day while the volunteers are away at their regular employment. This is necessitated by virtue of the fact that since the inception of the rescue squad in the 1950's rescue call volumes have increased to numbers approaching 1000 calls per year. James Bankich becomes the first paid Emergency Medical Technician of the SLVRS. 

The SLVFD "Challenge Coin" was officially unveiled at a ceremony during the SLVFD's annual banquet held at the Red Fox restaurant in Saranac Lake on 5/18/2012.  Click Here to see and learn more about the SLVFD Challenge Coin.

October 30-November 2, 2012 Crews from the SLVFD, Tupper Lake VFD, and from throughout Franklin County are deployed to the New York City area in the wake of "Superstorm Sandy".  The Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake members provide relief by manning the station and responses of Engine Company 214 of the Freeport Long Island fire department whose members suffered damage and destruction of their personal homes.  This is the third time in about 11 years that the SLVFD has responded in a mutual aid capacity to the New York City area.  In the recent past SLVFD has responded to a major blizard and following the terrorist attacks on 9/11.  Full story can be read at http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/533761/Help-heads-downstate.html?nav=5247
and
http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/533834/Locals-help-on-Sandy-soaked-Long-Island.html?nav=5247

2020-2029

Chiefs of the Decade