Est. 1913 · Onondaga County, NY

A Century ofNeighbors HelpingNeighbors

Since its inception in 1913, the North Syracuse Fire Department has stood as a distinguished and progressive all-volunteer organization — answering the call with dedication, courage, and teamwork for more than 100 years.

1913
Year Founded
15 sq mi
District Protected
25,000
Residents Served
100%
Volunteer

Our Founding

It Began with a Chemical Fire

In the fall of 1913, a group of North Syracuse citizens petitioned the Onondaga County Board of Supervisors to establish a fire district — and it was granted, making North Syracuse one of the first to organize fire protection under New York's town law.

The Board of Fire Commissioners — Frank Fergerson, William Conway, and A.S. Lewis among them — purchased two hand-drawn chemical fire engines, kept in a building on Church Street across from Andrews Memorial Church. The department's earliest name reflected its roots: the North Syracuse Chemical Company No. 1 & 2, soon shortened to the North Syracuse Volunteer Fire Department.

One of the first large fires the new department answered? The home of a resident who had voted against establishing the fire department — whose roof, as it happened, burned off.

Milestones

From a Hose Cart to a Century of Service

  1. The Founding Years · 1913–1933
  2. 1913

    The Department Is Founded

    The North Syracuse
    The North Syracuse "Chemical Company" band, 1913
    The original hand-drawn hose cart, since restored
    The original hand-drawn hose cart, since restored

    Citizens establish a fire district; the Board of Fire Commissioners buys two hand-drawn chemical engines under the first Fire Chief, Hubert Fay. The first fire alarm is a locomotive wheel struck with a sledgehammer.

  3. 1921

    First Motorized Apparatus

    1921 Ford Model T chemical truck
    1921 Ford Model T chemical truck

    A barn on Fergerson Avenue becomes the firehouse, home to the department’s first motorized rig — a Model T Ford truck.

  4. 1933

    The “Buffalo” Pumper

    1933 Sanford “Buffalo” — Engine 1
    1933 Sanford “Buffalo” — Engine 1

    At the department’s request, the Village Board approves an $1,800 Sanford “Buffalo” — Engine 1, the first motorized pumper.

  5. Building the Modern Department · 1945–1970
  6. 1945

    The Ladies Auxiliary Forms

    The Ladies Auxiliary marching in the Mattydale parade along Brewerton Road
    The Ladies Auxiliary marching in the Mattydale parade along Brewerton Road

    On October 17, 1945, eight women — led by Ethel Apple, Sally Cali, and others — sign a charter forming the North Syracuse Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, to assist the firefighters and foster a spirit of friendship that continues to this day.

  7. 1947

    A Volunteer Association Forms

    Members at the Fergerson Avenue fire station, 1947
    Members at the Fergerson Avenue fire station, 1947

    The North Syracuse Volunteer Fireman’s Association is incorporated under New York State law to support the department and build camaraderie among members.

  8. 1950

    The First “Modern” Station

    The former trolley power station, converted to Fire Station 1
    The former trolley power station, converted to Fire Station 1

    The Village converts the old trolley power station at South Bay Road and Church Street into the department’s first modern fire station.

  9. 1962

    First Tanker-Pumper

    1962 GMC Sanford — Tanker-Pumper 5
    1962 GMC Sanford — Tanker-Pumper 5

    With hydrants not yet widespread, the department adds its first tanker-pumper — carrying more water than any rig in the fleet to reach areas without a hydrant.

  10. 1968

    Founding of NAVAC Ambulance

    Recognizing the community’s need for dedicated ambulance service — then provided by funeral-home hearses with little medical training — seven members form the North Area Volunteer Ambulance Corp (NAVAC). It answers its first call on October 24, 1970.

  11. 1970

    First Aerial Device

    1970 American LaFrance Aero Chief 80′ — Truck 1
    1970 American LaFrance Aero Chief 80′ — Truck 1

    Delivery of an American LaFrance Aero Chief 80′ articulating platform — “Truck 1” — giving the department its first elevated rescue capability.

  12. A Century of Service · 1980–2013
  13. 1980

    FireVision Takes the Department to Air

    Backed by Chief Peter Dromms and Association President Joseph Falise, members launch FireVision — a video production unit. Partnering with North Syracuse High School’s video program, they produce training and community-education films.

  14. 1983

    A Purpose-Built Firehouse

    The current station opens at 109 Chestnut Street — the department’s first home built specifically for firefighting.

  15. 1996

    Founding the County HazMat Team

    North Syracuse becomes a founding member of Onondaga County’s Hazardous Materials Team, expanding its role in countywide emergency response.

  16. 2013

    100 Years of Service

    The 100-year commemorative challenge coin
    The 100-year commemorative challenge coin

    The department marks its Centennial. A commemorative challenge coin is struck for every member, honoring a century of service and sacrifice.

The Complete Record

The 100-Year Yearbook

Published for the department's Centennial, our yearbook chronicles a full century of service — founding members, apparatus, heroic acts, traditions, and the people behind it all. Read it below or download a copy.

Cover of the North Syracuse Fire Department 100-Year Yearbook, 1913–2013

North Syracuse Fire Department
100-Year Yearbook

1913–2013 · 118 pages

A century of service — founding members, apparatus, heroic acts, traditions, and the people behind it all.

Open the Yearbook Download (PDF)

Download the full yearbook (PDF)

The Department Today

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

North Syracuse remains a 100% volunteer department, protecting the Village of North Syracuse and parts of the Towns of Cicero and Clay — roughly 25,000 residents across about 15 square miles.

Our members are neighbors first: police officers, 911 dispatchers, plumbers, technicians, truck drivers, and more, answering more than 1,000 calls a year. We are one of the few departments in Onondaga County certified to respond as a New York State Advanced Life Support rescue — and one of only a small number statewide to hold an ISO Public Protection Class 3 rating.

  • Our Station

    109 Chestnut Street, North Syracuse, NY 13212.

  • The Fleet

    Four engines, one aerial truck, one heavy rescue, and two light rescues.

  • All Volunteer

    Roughly 45 members serving the community 24/7, 365 days a year.

  • ALS Rescue

    NYS-certified Advanced Life Support — among the few in the county.

Acts of Valor

Bravery on the Record

Members of the North Syracuse Fire Department have acted courageously since its inception. These are a few of the documented rescues for which firefighters were honored.

Pinetree Drive · 1965

Firefighters Douglas Goettel and Ervin Dolasinski searched a zero-visibility second floor on low air to pull a child from a crib, earning the Onondaga County Judges' Medal and Citations of Valor.

Parkside Apartments · 1977

Captain Alton "Al" Lewis twice entered a burning basement apartment — without an airpack and with no apparatus yet on scene — to rescue a child, and was named FASNY Firefighter of the Year.

Helen Street · 1985

Asst. Chief Eric Smeltz, Capt. Paul Linnertz, and Firefighters Brennan, Reardon, and Kelly removed two trapped occupants under conditions that melted their gear — each awarded the Medal of Valor.

Gordon Road · 1991

Deputy Chief Paul Linnertz entered a burning home alone, without a hoseline, to carry out an unconscious elderly resident — honored with a Medal of Valor and a citation from Governor Mario Cuomo.

Admiral's Walk · 1993

Crews performed multiple ladder rescues — a pregnant woman and three children — from a heavily involved apartment building, working in heat that melted their flashlights.

A Fireman's Prayer

"When I am called to duty, God, whenever flames may rage…" The department's traditions — the Maltese Cross, St. Florian, and the Fireman's Prayer — anchor every member to a calling centuries old.

Leadership Through the Years

Our Past Chiefs

The Chief of Fire is elected by the membership to lead the department. These are the men and women who have carried that responsibility since 1913.

  • Hubert Fay1913–1914
  • Smith Soule1914–1915
  • Walter Fergerson1915–1936
  • Arthur Harvey1936–1938
  • Walter Anderson1938–1945
  • Arthur D. Amerman1945–1950
  • John Bolton1950–1952
  • Leslie Potter1952–1954
  • Charles Mayer1954–1956
  • James Cali1956–1958
  • Richard Beach1958–1959
  • Leroy Thompson1959–1961
  • Donald Amerman1961–1963
  • Jansz Vanderveer1963–1965
  • John Tooley1965–1967
  • Jerry Finger1967–1969
  • Burton English1969–1971
  • Robert Crandall1971–1972
  • William Jenner1972–1974
  • Richard Erhardt1974–1975
  • Ervin Dolasinski1975–1977
  • John Abulencia1977–1979
  • Peter Dromms1979–1981
  • Richard Jones1981–1982
  • Peter Dromms1982–1983
  • Michael Grillo1983–1987
  • Eric Smeltz1987–1992
  • Paul Linnertz1992–1997
  • Patrick Brennan1997–2000
  • Kent Young2000–2001
  • Patrick Brennan2001–2003
  • John Linnertz2003–2005
  • Mark Hogan2005–2010
  • Patrick Brennan2010–2014
Note This roster runs through the 2013 Centennial yearbook (Chief Brennan's 2010–2014 term). Chiefs serving from 2014 to the present can be added here as the department provides them.

In Memoriam

We Honor Our Own

A memorial plaque in our station bears the names of members who died while active or as life members of the department — a permanent reminder of a century of service and sacrifice.

When I am called to duty, God, whenever flames may rage; give me strength to save some life, whatever be its age… I want to fill my calling and to give the best in me, to guard my every neighbor and protect his property.

— A Fireman's Prayer · A.W. "Smokey" Linn

Be Part of the Next Century

Your Community Needs You

For more than 100 years, North Syracuse has been protected by neighbors who stepped up. We're always looking for the next ones.