Riverhead Volunteer Fire Department

One of the first "stump-jumpers" ever built, this historic truck served for nearly 50-years!

In November of 1973 a new way of fighting area brush fires was introduced. Under then Chief William Conklin and Captain Walter Linnen, the Red Bird Hook & Ladder Company was assigned the Riverhead Fire Departments first "Brush Truck".

It was called 6-2-10 back in it's early days, later to be changed to 6-2-12. The truck was built along with four others to be used by neighboring communities by Mr. Ziggy O'Kula. It is a gasoline fueled International 1700 series with a 550 gallon water tank and a "Hale" pump, supplying three separate lines totaling 220' of 1" hose with "Task-Force" tips. This truck also carries 150' of 1.5" hose with adaptors if needed. Other available equipment includes assorted hand tools such as axes and shovels, a basic toolbox, spanner wrenches, hydrant set and a "Stihl" chain saw which comes in very handy when the need arises.

This truck holds a significant history for Riverhead in the fire service. On February 3rd 1977 this truck was airlifted upstate to help out the City of Buffalo during a snow crisis. Six of Riverheads volunteer firemen went to Buffalo, in two shifts of three men each, and were welcomed by the local paid professionals at Ladder Company 12, located in the northwest and coincidentally the Polish section of the city (The truck is now stationed in Riverheads "Polish Town" Community).

The tremendous snowstorm made it almost impossible to travel and our truck was used as a first response vehicle to structure fires and other emergencies. During the ten days stationed there they responded to 32 alarms, logging 153 miles racing through the ice covered city where snow banks were often almost the same height as the houses. Both groups of firefighters received the call to duty on structure fires and were congratulated by the battalion chief for their valiant efforts, they were considered to be heroes. The crew then drove the approximately 500 miles home to Riverhead. To this day they still say the entire experience was something they will never forget.

The first crew consisted of then Assistant Chief Russell Fleischman, Red Bird Captain Joseph Kaelin and Bryant "Butch" Young. The second crew was Red Bird Lieutenant Dennis Hamill, Charlie Bloss and Marvin Warner. All this was performed under the reigning Chief at that time Antone "Tony" Bugdin.

The truck received some alterations after it's return from Buffalo. The cage was expanded to the outermost sides of the truck. This gave the crew much more room to work and added protection. Prior to it's trip upstate the front end was beefed up by adding cross supports and steel mesh, because we had found that after practically every trip into the woods it needed new headlights.

This engine served for 20 years and was Seagrave's first 10 man cab. Retired in 2011.

Sometime during the early part of 1836, it appears that a group of citizens of Riverhead saw the need for a fire company to protect the village from fire. A sum of money was subscribed for the purchase of a piece of apparatus to aid the company in this endeavor. This first piece of equipment, purchased used and originally manufactured around 1790, was a very primitive affair and was housed in a small shed behind what is now number 58 West Main Street.

This first equipment, an engine named the Red-Jacket, is six feet-six inches in length by two feet-six inches wide and about five feet high. It's classified as a rotary-type “hand-engine” or “hand-drawn” and the pump itself was referred to as a “coffee-grinder” because of its rotary action.

When an alarm was sounded, the Red-Jacket was pulled to the fire scene by all available manpower. The pump was then put-to-use by its two side arms, each about five feet in length. The apparatus required at least five men, two laboring on each side arm and one to direct the nozzle, to properly operate. A full prime could be established in less than six seconds, and the device could throw a stream of water up to 75 feet. The ability to accurately direct streams of water was a tremendous advancement over that times bucket-brigade method of fire suppression.

This colonial-era hand-drawn, in a remarkable state of preservation, still operable, is proudly displayed at Riverhead's Fire Headquarters at 24 East Second Street. This wood and steel contraption served its purpose well and gave excellent service to the town. It can still be seen, in full operation, when it performs at various parades and antique musters throughout the year.

The 1903 Metropolitan Steamer #2947, built by the "American Fire Engine Company" was bought new by the Riverhead Fire District and put into service on July 14th 1908, the cost new was $4000. It is a 4th class steamer, pumps 500 gallons per minute and weighs 5,900 lbs. The steamer was housed in the Bridge Street Firehouse on what is now Peconic Avenue and the Peconic River was its main source of water for fighting fires.

As the story goes, when the bell rang it was a race as to whose horses would get there first, seeing the department didn't have any of its own. Rumors tell of horses arriving long before their drivers or horses dragging their farming plows behind them trying to get to the firehouse. I believe there was payment made to whoever pulled the steamer to a fire and this was around the time of the great depression. The steamer took two men to operate, the fireman and the engineer, it burned Bituminous coal and in the wintertime a heater was attached to keep the boiler water hot.

The steamer died on March 30th 1935 after a tube burst on the right side of the boiler, when it was being pressure tested. A letter to the board from the Washington Engine Company dated on the same day asked that the "Steamer be held in state for some time to come”, and that it will be “Quite a relic, a cheap relic, $4000.00 for 26 years 8 month's of service equals 41 cents day.

The steamer was brought out of the Suffolk Historical Society Museum on August 16th 1979 and on August 28th 1980, after 647 volunteer man-hours, the steamer pumped again in original condition. On November 18th 1980, the board reassigned the steamer back to the Washington Engine Company and in April of 1981 the Board passed a resolution which recommissioned and included the steamer in our departments inventory of active firefighting equipment.

Since the restoration, the steamer has been to many local and out of state musters and has won numerous trophies and awards. We owe the present condition of the steamer to our forefathers for their foresight and care so that we can still enjoy it today.

The Eagle Hose Cart is on display at the Brookhaven Town Firefighting Museum in Ridge, NY.

In 1989 the Riverhead Fire Department held a ceremony to recognize 50 years of service this 1939 Seagrave Aerial had provided to the Riverhead Community. Purchased new in 1939 for the sum of $13,795.00, it was the first hydraulic aerial in Suffolk County. Up until that time the heavy ladders had to be raised with a series of gears and wheels by hand. Its first fire was a worker at the old W.T. Grant Store on Main Street. This truck was well cared for and remained in limited-use service until it was finally retired in 1997, for a total of 58 years of service! This beautifully preserved truck can be seen, still shining and in running condition, at the American Museum of Firefighting located in upstate Hudson, NY.