It was incorporated by an act of the Board of Supervisors of Schoharie County on November 16, 1893 pursuant to Section 37, Chapter 18 of the General Laws of the State of New York. A meeting was convened at Peasles Hotel on December 12, 1893 pursuant to the notice to the Supervisor of the Town of Jefferson for the purpose of electing Fire Commissioners and appointing a Treasurer. Elected Commission
ers were Moses Wilcox for 3 year term, Charles H. Hones - 1 year, and Joseph D. The first piece of equipment purchased by the fire district was a two-wheeled hose cart from E.S. Smith of Delhi on January 16, 1894. Hose was purchased from Eureka Mfg. Company. A four-wheeled cart with tow ladders was purchased on June 7, 1920. Both carts were hand-drawn. Hoses attached to the hydrants on the public water system would be the only fire protection until 1938. In 1938, a 1924 Larrabe engine was purchased from Albany Mac Company. It had been thoroughly tested and was purchased the same day it was demonstrated. It is still in the possession of the Fire District and is maintained as an antique. A succession of pumpers have followed. The Village Fire District encompassed primarily the area within reach of the hydrants on the newly installed water mains. In the late thirties, a portion of the town not in the Jefferson Fire District petitioned for fire protection and would eventually become a part of the Stamford Rural Fire District and fire protection in that area has remained unchanged. In 1945, the residents of the Town of Jefferson still without fire protection, petitioned the Jefferson Town Board and the Jefferson Protective District was formed. It would remain a protective district until 1985 when the Jefferson Protective District and the Jefferson Village District were combined to form the Jefferson Fire District. On April 26, 1955 an agreement was signed between the Harpersfield Town Board and the Jefferson Fire District creating the Harpersfield Protective District. This agreement remains unchanged to this day. In 1959, the Fire District purchased a 1955 Ford F700 truck with a 1000-gallon tank to serve as tanker to provide water to fires where no other water supply was available. Numerous tankers have followed, such as the 1987 International model 9370 with a 3400-gallon tank. In 1972, an International truck was purchased and outfitted as an engine tanker. It was the first new vehicle purchased by the Fire District and has many times taken the place of or supplemented the engines. Besides vehicles, other equipment has been purchased to enable firemen to better serve the community. Self-contained breathing apparatus commonly referred to as “Air Packs” were introduced in the seventies to enable firemen to enter structures on fire to search for victims and extinguish fires. A vehicle extrication tool known as the “Jaws of Life” was purchased with funds raised by the Fire Department annual mail drive to enable firemen to assist the Rescue Squad in removing victims in auto accidents. Other small tools such as chain saws, inflatable air bags, collapsible ponds into which tankers are unloaded, auxiliary pumps to pump water from ponds or streams and generator to provide light at fires, have been purchased through the years. Alerting firemen has evolved from banging on a locomotive wheel rim with a hammer to an electric siren in 1928. After the fire district was enlarged, out of the village area firemen were alerted by phone, by lady volunteers. In the late seventies, the first pagers were supplied to firemen. At present all firemen and Rescue Squad personnel are alerted by way of pagers by Schoharie County Emergency dispatchers. A Countywide 911 system is now in effect so that emergency calls are electronically located. In 1960, the Jefferson Fire District and Jefferson Fire Department signed to join the Schoharie County Mutual Aid Plan so that neighboring departments could be called for assistance in an emergency and to assist other departments when called. The first building used as a firehouse was a building located at the corner of Park Avenue and Creamery Street. In 1911, the Town of Jefferson purchased the building from the Village Fire District, razed it and constructed a new Town Hall with room in the lower floor for the fire equipment. This would serve as the firehouse until 1959 when it too would be torn down and a new Town Hall with room for fire vehicle was constructed. In 1994, the Jefferson Fire District constructed a new firehouse on Creamery Street. The new firehouse has storage for eight vehicles, a large meeting hall, also used as a dining hall for various events, a modern well-equipped kitchen, a radio room, and offices for the various units of the Fire Department. On October 4, 1960, the Board of Fire Commissioners authorized the Fire Department to form a Ladies’ Auxiliary. The members of the Ladies’ Auxiliary serve refreshments to fire personnel at fire scenes, help prepare food for such events as the Annual Chicken Barbeque, help prepare mail for the Annual Mail Drive, and perform such duties as may be assigned. In May 1962, with the help of a former Jefferson resident, a Cadillac ambulance was purchased from the Melville Fire District. This was the beginning of ambulance service provided to the residents of the Fire District and neighboring communities. On August 6, 1963, the opinion was expressed that the ambulance service would be best served by an organization for that purpose. A meeting to organize the Rescue Squad was held in September 1963. The Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department Rescue Squad was to operate under the direction of a captain, subordinate to the Fire Department Chief. The Rescue Squad has provided a much needed service to the community. In May 1979, the Fire Department was incorporated under Section 402 of the Not-For Profit Corporation Law with the name of the corporation being Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department Incorporated. In recent years, a transient population, out of town employment, required training, fear of contracting contagious disease and in some cases public apathy have reduced the number of members available. However, those who do belong, serve with integrity and dedication, the traditions of the Fire Service.
