Engine Company 8 / Marine 1

02/09/2024

Honest Mike's Honest and Undoubtedly Unpopular Opinion: Stock Fire Engines

A basic fire engine, diesel powered, costs around $750,000, give or take. By the time the fire truck board, the consultants, the commitee, the sales people and the politics are through the price has skyrocketed to well over a million. We need a compartment here, instead of there, a nozzle mounted there, not here, left handed handles, step stools, side mounts, back mounts . . .the specs are ridiculous.

Get the firefighters a basic vehicle that is solid and dependable and we'll figure out how best to make it work for us.

Then spend the money you saved on proper staffing.

01/17/2024

All the fire departments in the county need help. We’ve heard all the excuses. I can’t commit to (fill in the blank), I’m not always available, I’m too young/old, I don’t know anything about it. They are just excuses. We are all volunteers. We can when we can and we can’t when we can’t.

This is an incredible job you get paid for in ways that aren’t money. If you’ve ever thought about it, contact the volu fire department in your area. The hardest part, is walking through that station door the first time.

We all live in the communities we serve. How can you make a difference?

Every fire department across the country needs help.

01/09/2024

Our thoughts and prayers are with Kingston City School District during this difficult time for our community.

01/05/2024

This evening at our monthly meeting we held our annual elections of officers, the results were as follows:

Company President- pat Glass
Vice President- Mike Drury
Secretary- Jay Drury
Treasure- Charlie Allecca

Captain- Jay Drury
1st Lieutenant - Mike Drury
2nd Lieutenant- Joe Prout
Ems officer- Mark Ingoglio
Accountability officer- Joe Leverenz

Thank you to our out going officers and congratulations to our incoming.

12/29/2023

12/19/2023

Our thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters in blue.

10/26/2023

Due to a nationwide staffing shortage, any kid dressed like a firefighter on Halloween will be required to pick up a shift.🤣

09/03/2023

Today proved to, once again, be a busy day for Kingston Firefighters. Between 8:00am and 4:00pm firefighters responded to 15 emergencies as well as provided coverage to the Hooley on the Hudson on the strand downtown. These 15 calls included multiple emergency calls where patients required medical attention and no commercial ambulance agencies were available to respond to the requests. Firefighters jumped into action and responded with both of the department's ambulances to assist those in need. This included a request to the Town of Ulster where there were also no commercial ambulance units available.
Once again Kingston firefighters prove they will do whatever it takes to provide the top level of care to the residents and visitors of the City of Kingston. Everyone deserves timely response to their emergencies and requests for transport to the hospital and the Kingston Fire Department is committed the ensuring this is met.
A reminder that Kingston Fire Department operates a Mental Health Outreach Ambulance weekdays from 10:00am until 6:00pm. However, in the event that no commercial ambulance agencies are able to respond to calls within the City of Kingston, the department will respond with an ambulance to make sure these needs are met.

08/21/2023

You can turn this sucker off.

Our Chief is right, all the fire departments in the county need help. We’ve heard all the excuses. I can’t commit to (fill in the blank), I’m not always available, I’m too young/old, I don’t know anything about it. They are just excuses. We are all volunteers. We can when we can and we can’t when we can’t.

This is an incredible job you get paid for in ways that aren’t money. If you’ve ever thought about it, contact the VFD in your area. The hardest part, is walking through that station door the first time.

We all live in the communities we serve. How can you make a difference?

Every fire department across the country needs help.

07/09/2023