Schodack Valley Fire Company

04/09/2026

A Red Flag Warning has been issued by the US National Weather Service Albany NY for Rensselaer County and other areas of the Capital Region and upstate for tomorrow (Thursday, April 9). The warning is due to weather conditions that increase the possibility of wildfires.

More from our Rensselaer County - Public Safety :

RED FLAG WARNING – THURSDAY (NOON–6 PM) 🔥🚨
The Rensselaer County Bureau of Public Safety is advising all residents that a Red Flag Warning is in effect this Thursday from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
What does this mean?
A Red Flag Warning is issued when weather conditions are just right for fires to start and spread rapidly. This typically includes:
Very low humidity
Dry fuels (leaves, brush, grass)
Gusty winds
Put simply—any spark can turn into a fast-moving fire in seconds.
Why this matters:
During Red Flag conditions:
Fires spread faster than crews can contain them
Embers can travel and ignite multiple spot fires
What starts as something small can quickly threaten homes, property, and lives
🚫 IMPORTANT REMINDER – BURN BAN IN EFFECT 🚫
There is already a burn ban in place for a reason—and during a Red Flag Warning, the risk is even greater.
👉 ALL outdoor burning should be avoided
—even activities that might normally be permitted under the burn ban.
This includes:
Brush burning
Fire pits
Campfires
Burning debris
👨‍🚒 Help Us Keep Our Community Safe
We don’t want to be knocking on a door delivering bad news because of a preventable fire. Conditions like this leave zero margin for error.
✅ Dispose of smoking materials properly
✅ Avoid anything that could create sparks
✅ Report any signs of fire immediately by calling 911
Stay aware, stay cautious, and help protect your neighbors and first responders.
– Rensselaer County Bureau of Public Safety

03/03/2026

02/08/2026

Around 4:30am this morning, Schodack Valley Fire received a call, along with our initial mutual aid partners, Castleton Fire, Schodack Landing Fire, South Schodack Fire, and Castleton Ambulance, for a report house on fire on Maple Hill Road. Schodack Valley Cars 2 & 3 quickly arrived on scene and confirmed a working structure fire. A 2nd alarm was called bringing in addition units from East Greenbush Fire, East Schodack Fire, Nassau Fire, and Nassau Ambulance. The extreme cold created many challenges including freezing equipment and increased firefighter fatigue, prompting calling in additional resources from Best Luther Fire and Clinton Heights Fire to rotate crews out. Rensselaer County Highway Dept. was also quick to arrive on scene and provided road salt for the freezing water on the roadway.

Cover assignments were provided by Defreetsville FIre, Stuyvesant Fire, Niverville Fire, and Kinderhook Fire. A separate call for a structure fire, a reported oven fire, was received later in the morning. The call was quickly handled by the cover companies and returned shortly to previous cover assignments.

Support was also received from the Town of Schodack Building and Water Dept. and the Villiage of Castleton Water Dept. Also a thank you to Ditonno Demolition for providing excavation services to help extinguish the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by our partners, the City of Rensselaer Fire Investigation team. A THANK YOU to all who responded this cold morning!

02/01/2026

Thank you to the team at Schodack Valley Fire Company for their service and dedication in serving and protecting residents of their community and Rensselaer County. Schodack Valley Fire Company came together on Saturday, January 24 for a joint banquet with Schodack Landing Fire Company to install officers and recognize members for outstanding service.
Best wishes to Chief Brian Cassidy Sr. and President Pat O'Keeffe and their team on a productive and successful 2026.
A county commendation recognize the bravery and selflessness of the Schodack Valley Fire Company was presented by County Executive Steve McLaughlin at the event.
Rensselaer County is fortunate to have organizations like Schodack Landing Fire Company protecting us!

01/09/2026

Yesterday we laid Herbie Shuurman to rest after 77 years of service to Schodack Valley. He joined the fire department when he was 16. Thank you for your service, Herbie. We will take it from here.

View Herbert Schuurman's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

12/20/2025