Untitled (3)CHELShA FIREHOUSE -
The Chelsea Fire District
covers a large portion of the
southern part of the Town of
Wappinger and in 1976 it will
be celebrating its 30th an-
niversary.
The Chelsea Fire
Department formed on April
1, 1946 after several
residents got together in
realization that the com-
munity had no real fire
protection. Nineteen men,
having decided not to wait A
for a bond issue, put up $1,800 C
out of their own pockets to G
buy a war surplus fire truck. P
The department purchased a J
1943 Ford Pumper with a 200
gallon tank.
The first fire was July 15, s
1946, a barn fire on the
Stonykill Road which was
engulfed in flames when
firemen arrived. It was a
total loss.
The fire department
became incorporated Feb. 4,
1947 and on Aug. 6, 1947 it
participated in its first
parade. The Mase Hook and
r Ladder Company of Beacon
was host.
There was no central fire
i station for the fire district so
the trucks were housed in
private garages. In 1950 a
fire station was built at the
corner of Broadway and
Liberty Streets and the
idepartment moved in during
December of that year.
For nearly 30 years, the
Chelsea Fire Department
'not only has been active in
putting out fires in its own
district, but under mutual
' aid, it has responded to large
fires in Beacon and
elsewhere. On numerous
occasions Chelsea firemen
' assisted police in finding
bodies in the Hudson River
as well as assisting at
automobile accidents.
Officers include Jim
Tompkins, chief; Jim
Baisley, assistant chief;
John Johnson, captain and
Fred Dysard Sr., Joseph
McCormick and Edward
Blaney, lieutenants.
Civil officers are Ralph
Zimmerman, president; Vito
Greco, vice president;
Edward Blaney, secretary;
Fred Dysard Sr., financial -
secretary; John Anastasi,
treasurer.
Commissioners are, Bruce
McGregory, chairman of the
board; Barney McGivney,
William Brickner, George
Hammond, Herb Muller,
past chief and George
Robinson, secretary.
Active life members are
rthur Couglin, janiel
ouglin, Peter Coughlin,
eorge Hammond, Richard
rice, George Robinson,
ohn Todd, Austin Boland,
William Brickner and
Herbert Muller Sr., who is
upervisor of the Town of
Fishkill.
Life members are Emory
Hager, Ned Hammond,
George Reich, Elting Scott,
Walter Sommer. Exempt
members are Edward Price,
Jerry Weyant, Frank
Masopust, James Cirillo,
Antonio Turco, Warren
Miller, Charles Couglin,
Robert Searles, Carl Ehlers,
Bryon Van Vlack Sr.,
Eugene Sheppard and An-
thony Martire.