TMFD Invites All to 100th Birthday Bash - Saturday, Sept. 8

Ranks Swell With Influx of LFD Volunteers

See also: Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department History 1907-2007

by Judy Silberstein*

(September 6, 2007) In 1906, residents of the newly developing unincorporated section of Town of Mamaroneck relied on Larchmont Village for fire protection. Unhappy with the time it took for Larchmont firefighters to reach their neighborhoods, the Town residents mobilized and formed their own companies, opening the Weaver Street Fire Company #1 in September of 1907. On Saturday, September 8, 2007 from 11 am to 4 pm the community is invited to the Weaver Street fire house for its hundredth birthday bash. There will be an open house and carnival, with games, prizes, food, children’s activities and entertainment plus a display of antique fire equipment and memorabilia.

The Weaver Street Fire House. Portrait by John? Peloso.

100 Years of A Combined Volunteer- Career Department

A hundred years ago, the villages of Mamaroneck and Larchmont had already developed their own fire departments, the former staffed exclusively by volunteers, the latter a combined force of volunteers and paid members. Town of Mamaroneck chose a combined model for its new department – with volunteer firefighters and leaders joined by career staff who man the fire house and operate the apparatus – a model still in place.

At the centennial celebration this June, the department roster included 14 career firefighters, 56 active volunteers and 20 Explorers, (junior members).

“We have a very good relationship between our paid and volunteer firefighters,” said Mamaroneck Town Fire Chief Matt Peloso. “Our career staff goes through the same training as other career firefighters throughout the county – they are full–fledged firefighters in every sense of the word,” said the chief. “The career and volunteers truly work side by side.”

Since Spring, New Members Shifting From Larchmont's Department

Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department (TMFD) has seen an influx of new volunteers, refugees from Larchmont’s department unhappy with the Village Board’s move in May to replace volunteer leadership with a paid chief. (Larchmont Appoints Paid Fire Chief; Many Volunteers Resign.)

Chief Peloso confirmed that 13 Larchmonters have been accepted and were already responding to fire calls. Among the new TMFD volunteers are Tom Broderick, who was the volunteers’ choice for the next Larchmont fire chief; Brian Payne (a former LFD chief and president of the Engine Company) and Greg Hibbard (the second deputy chief before his resignation).

Chief Peloso also confirmed that there are a number of other Larchmont volunteers who have applied and who are going through the process.

“It’s unfortunate that we are gaining qualified members at the expense of another department,” said Chief Peloso, “but being responsible for the Town of Mamaroneck, we always need volunteers and it’s a positive occurrence for us.”

The new Larchmont members have been joined by new volunteers from other sources. “We’re always recruiting, and the younger members who graduate from the Explorer Post have also added to the numbers,” said Chief Peloso.

“Fifty years ago you had greater numbers because of the demographics, but over the past 10 years our numbers have actually increased,” said the chief. The increase has occurred even though volunteering “is much more difficult these days – the training hours can be onerous,” he said. “As the requirements have increased, people have responded – they take it more seriously."

A major challenge has been outfitting all the new members. “Luckily we received a fire act grant from the Department of Homeland Security in 2006 for new turnout gear,” said the chief. “The grant for approximately $98K is being used to purchase new coats, helmets, boots, gloves, pants, hoods – the whole nine yards. That’s been a tremendous help – our basic firefighting ensemble is $2500.”

The new recruits are leading to an increased response rate at fire calls. “We’ve seen a bump,” reported the chief.

Meanwhile, Chief Peloso has noted a decrease in the response rate from Larchmont’s fire department when the Town requests assistance. “We have noticed that there are significantly fewer Larchmont volunteers showing up when we request mutual aid. The mutual aid policy has not been changed, but “we’re keeping an eye on the situation,” said the chief.

Larchmont Fire Chief Richard Heine reported to the VIllage Board in August that the average number of volunteers responding to calls for service had dropped from around 4 to around 3. At this point, at least 18 of Larchmont's 28 most active volunters have resigned.(See: Now Both Sides Agree: 17 of 28 Active VOL Firefighters Resign.) In a recent call, Chief Heine said he expected 3 new volunteers to join the department soon with another 4 making their way through the process by the end of September.

Change at TMFD in the Near Future?

Chief Peloso is not expecting any major changes at TMFD any time soon, despite calls from some departing Larchmont Village volunteer firefighters for merger between the Village and Town fire departments.

“I haven’t heard anything – not much of anything – on merger,” said Chief Peloso. If anyone were to pursue that there is so much research that needs to be done. To my knowledge there have not been any formal approaches from either side - nothing new on that front.”

What he does expect is there will be a new volunteer chief installed to continue leading TMFD at the end of December, when his term expires.

The link between yesterday, today and the tomorrow was impressed upon Chief Peloso at the department’s centennial banquet and celebration in June. “Having all the old members come back – some from a distance – makes you appreciate that you’re only a small part of this. You take the baton for a short time. You try to move the ball forward and pass it on,” he said.

*Judy Silberstein is married to Ned Benton, a former member of the Larchmont Fire Department.

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