On October 26, 1784, the state of New York issued to Zephaniah Platt and Associates a patent for 33,000 acres of land adjoining the Saranac River. The following year, on March 12th, Charles Platt and the first group of settlers arrived to establish a settlement at the mouth of the river. By special act of the legislature, on April 14, 1785, the town of Plattsburgh was born.

The first recorded information regarding firefighting in Plattsburgh does not appear until October of 1814. The newspaper of the time, The Plattsburgh Republican, stated that, "It is the duty of every able-bodied man to fight fire in the village."

Two years after the incorporation of Plattsburgh as a village, in 1815, a fire department was formed. Money to pay for a fire engine was raised through a tax levy. Unfortunately, the purchase of the fire engine was delayed for yet another year as the money raised was appropriated and used to defray the cost of a reception for then President, James Monroe’s visit to the village of Plattsburgh.

Plattsburgh’s first fire engine was officially purchased in 1818. The fire engine was a "Black Joe" which was manufactured around 1790. It was a hand-operated engine that was nicknamed the "coffee grinder" . The "Black Joe" consisted of a rotary force pump fitted on a box or tank, which was used to store water. The whole apparatus sat on wheels, to allow it to be hauled around the village. There was no suction hose, the tank had to be filled by buckets while two iron crank bars worked the pump. These bars were each operated by six to eight men and the resulting pump action could throw a 5/8-inch stream of water fifty to sixty feet.

From 1818 to 1836, there were six major fires in Plattsburgh. Some of the buildings that burned were the stone grist mill, a hotel, the cotton factory and the old saw mill, as well as the Court House.

In 1837, recognizing the need for more organized firefighting, the village appropriated five hundred dollars to purchase a lot and build an engine house. The completed building was located on Cornelia Street opposite Montcalm Avenue at the site of what is now known as the Horicon Hose Building.

In 1840 a new engine, the Phoenix No. 1 was purchased by the village and housed at Horicon Hose. The fire company was known as Phoenix Engine Company No.1. The new engine had been manufactured in 1821 or 1822 and was purchased second-hand from New York City. The engine was capable of drawing its own water and could throw a ¾-inch stream of water drawn through one hundred feet of hose to a distance of one hundred feet. The Phoenix No.1 was an engine of great capacity and at the time it was purchased, it was as capable as any fire apparatus in any village in the state or adjoining states. The ranks of the Engine Company boasted some of the most prominent and well-known citizens of Plattsburgh; Platts, Stones, Drownes, Palmers and many others.

As for "Black Joe" , it remained in good condition until 1867 when it was hauled to a vacant lot on Broad Street where it was allowed to deteriorate.

The fiercest fire on record occurred on Wednesday, the 21st day of August, 1849. A large and destructive conflagration (a very intense and destructive fire) swept through the village of Plattsburgh and reduced the greater portion of the business district to ashes. It caused nearly $300,000 worth of damage. Approximately 24 businesses were destroyed by the conflagration, including; several dry goods stores, a blacksmiths, tailor shops, the bookseller, the public library, clothing and hat stores, grocery stores, barbers, jewelers, and the offices of the Plattsburgh Republican, as well as many private dwellings and storage buildings.

In the early 1850’s a Hook and Ladder Co. was established. At around the same time, a bucket company made up of young men and youths was also organized. In 1858, after 15 years without having to buy a fire apparatus, the village trustees were authorized to purchase a new fire engine. The engine was manufactured by Hunnerman & Co. of Boston Mass., and cost nearly $1,500. It arrived on October 23, 1858. The new engine was christened Horicon No. 3.

With the arrival of the Horicon No.3, the old Phoenix Engine became increasingly less utilized and it eventually came to rest at the Volunteer Fireman’s Home at Hudson NY.

Another conflagration in 1867 destroyed most of the same buildings in the business area of Plattsburgh that had been reduced to embers in 1849. The estimated property loss from this fire was over $469,000.

The year 1872 saw the formation of four new fire companies. They joined Horicon Engine and Hose Co. No.3 as the Plattsburgh Fire Department. The new companies were named; Protection Hose Co. No.5, Rescue Hose Co. No.4, LaFayette Hose Co. No.1, and Relief Hose Co. No 2.

A column in the Plattsburgh Sentinel from December 27, 1901 titled "At the Fire Station" described the current fire department happenings. "The new harness for the team at the fire station has arrived and has been placed in position. This harness is put on each horse by one movement of the hand, by which the collar is fastened by a patent snap. Only a few seconds are required from the sound of the alarm to harness the team. A new horse has also been acquired and has been thoroughly broken, and is very well adapted to the work required of him. We also acquired a new electrical instrument, it is a Gamewell Alarm System and it resembles a ticker, as is usually found in a broker’s office. The system registers the number of the alarm rung in and then prints out a certified copy of the number that the firemen then carry with them to the site. It is a very useful piece of equipment."

The first mention of a ‘paid fireman’ doesn’t appear until 1902. The Plattsburgh Sentinel discussed a Common Council meeting where a resolution was made to eliminate the services of ‘call firemen’ and that twelve paid firemen were to be appointed in their place. Each one was to be paid one dollar for each call and two dollars for services at a fire. It also indicated that there were three "regular" firemen at a fixed salary of forty dollars per month.

The fire department consisted of six paid firemen who received approximately sixty dollars a month as salary, twelve call firemen and, approximately 50 volunteers by 1913. A part-time chief at that time earned a salary of $150.00 a year.

The department purchased its first auto fire truck in 1915. Horses continued to be used to haul fire engines until 1925.

By 1925 the Plattsburgh Fire Department covered the entire county of Clinton. The department’s firefighting equipment included; a solid tire, chain-driven LaFrance Pumper, with a hand-operated siren, a Pierce-Arrow used to haul the ladder wagon and a Dodge Truck, called the "Black Moriah" that was used for ambulance service.

A second LaFrance Pumper was purchased in 1931. This truck was recently acquired and restored by Plattsburgh Permanent Firemen’s Association and is housed at the Horicon Hose Building.

The Cornelia Street Fire Station was opened for service in 1950. Equipment consisted of the 1931 LaFrance Pumper, a 1939 Mack Pumper, a 1949 American LaFrance Aerial, and a Dodge Truck for ambulance and emergency calls. Plattsburgh Fire Station No. 2 opened on South Platt Street in 1958. A Howe International Pumper and an American LaFrance Pumper were located there. Many of these apparatus’ were capable of delivering 750 gpm (gallons of water per minute) to a fire.

While fire equipment has continued to evolve in its abilities to deliver larger volumes of water, there remain two 1500 gpm and one 1750 gpm Pierce Pumpers, a 102-foot Aerial Ladder Platform and two Ambulances in the 2009 department fleet. The fire stations on Cornelia Street and South Platt Street continue to serve the firefighting needs of the City of Plattsburgh. The department follows Civil-Service guidelines when making appointments and has 36 paid professional firefighters and one "Chief" Officer. There are 4 Captains and 4 Lieutenants and 28 Firefighters. The majority of members of the department are certified in ALS EMS that offers the residents of Plattsburgh one of the highest levels of emergency care in northern New York.

City of Plattsburgh Firefighters are members of IAFF Local 2421. They are affiliated with the New York State Professional Firefighters and the International Association of Firefighters/AFL/CIO.

Special thanks to Retired FF.Scott Forkey for composing History Article >>>>