Patterson Fire Dept. No.1, Inc

04/14/2026

It is with heavy hearts that the Patterson Fire Department announces the passing of Life Member Stanley P. Vishinski II, at the age of 78.

Stan was a dedicated member of our department, serving for 42 years as both an EMT and with the Fire Police. His commitment to the fire service and to the Patterson community will never be forgotten. He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege to serve alongside him.

Stan is survived by his sons, grandchildren, and extended family. He is predeceased by his beloved wife, Dianne, with whom he shared over 50 years of marriage. Dianne was also a faithful member of the Patterson Fire Department, and together they were a true part of our firehouse family.

Calling hours will be held on Thursday, April 16, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Beecher Funeral Home, 1 Putnam Avenue, Brewster, NY.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, April 17, 2026, at 11:00 AM at St. John the Evangelist Church, 39 E. Main Street, Pawling, NY.

Please keep the Vishinski family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

03/18/2026

Reminder: The annual ban on brush burning is March 16 to May 14. This temporary ban happens EVERY YEAR.

With all the brushy material still very dry before the Spring greening, coupled with the warming breezes, the risk of an accidental brush fire is greatly increased. Once the ban ends on May 14, you are free to resume burning in accordance with state and local laws, such as a burn permit.

03/08/2026

At approximately 9:15 AM on Sunday, March 08, 2026, the Patterson Fire Department was dispatched to assist with a K9 that had fallen down a waterfall and was trapped on a tiny rock outcropping inside Michael Ciaiola Conservation Area.

Knowing the park access can be difficult, UTV 22-8-3 was immediately sent to the scene, along with our 22-6-1 Rescue apparatus, and 22-8-1 Fire Police. Upon seeing how much snow and ice was still on the wooded trails, and that the area of concern was a mile trek through the forest, additional resources were requested from the Putnam County Technical Rescue Team for their UTV’s, as well as specialized rope rescue equipment on their apparatus 40-6-1. Further manpower and equipment assistance was also requested from the Putnam Lake FD and Brewster FD.

Fourteen month old K9 Rudy had fallen approximately 15 feet down a cliff alongside Quaker Brook waterfall. It was a miracle he was uninjured and didn’t land in the water as the flow is currently at its annual high mark and loudly roaring down the hillside.

Once the appropriate personnel were in place and safety precautions accounted for, including sending several firefighters downstream in case Rudy were to fall into the water, Patterson Fire Department Captain Greco, who’s also a member of the Putnam County Technical Rescue Team, was carefully lowered down the cliff on a rope. After being stuck on a tiny, cold and wet ledge for over 2 hours, K9 Rudy signaled he was ready to go home by practically jumping into Captain Greco’s lap! Both rescuer and rescuee were hauled back up the cliff to safety, none the worse for the ordeal.

Both Rudy and his owner are extremely grateful for tremendous effort of all the Firefighters and Rescue Technicians involved in bringing K9 Rudy home safely.

02/27/2026

A friendly reminder from your fire department!

With all of the recent snowfall, we’re asking our community to help us keep everyone safe by taking these simple steps…
-Keep driveways and access points clear.
Our crews need safe, unobstructed access during emergencies.
-Ensure dry hydrants and water sources are accessible.
Please clear snow and ice from around dry hydrants so they remain visible and ready for use.
-Make sure your house numbers and mailbox are visible.
Snowbanks, ice, and low visibility can make it hard for responders to locate your home quickly. Clear, visible numerics help us get to you faster.
We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our community safe. Stay warm, stay safe, and thank you for helping us help you. ❄️🚒

02/17/2026

Sunday, February 15, 2026 was a day filled with specialized training — Ice Rescue!

While members of Patterson FD, Kent FD, Carmel FD and others were busy completing their Ice Rescue Technician training in Kent, other members of Patterson FD and Brewster FD teamed up to do refresher training for our existing Ice Rescue Technicians, and introductory training for our newer members.

Ice Rescue is one subset of very specialized skills that firefighters undergo. It combines some aspects of water rescue and rope rescue, with the very specific deep cold and ice danger training, combined with hands on skills, to certify as an Ice Rescue Technician. And this year, with the extreme cold weather that has dominated our winter, we had plenty of ice to practice on and in!

Kudos to all the area firefighters that put in the extra effort to train in and on Putnam County’s icy waters to help save our residents that fall into the frigid water and cannot get out!

01/31/2026

At approximately 11:50 PM on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, the Patterson Fire Department was notified of a structure fire on Ice Pond Road.

Patterson FD Engine 22-2-4 and tanker/tender 22-4-2 responded, along with Chief's 22-1-1 and 22-1-2. With obvious fire blowing out the windows on a bitterly cold night that saw temperatures below zero, mutual aid on scene was quickly sought from many area agencies, including:

Putnam Lake Fire Department
Brewster Fire Department
Carmel Fire Department
Lake Carmel Fire Dept
Mahopac Fire Department
Pawling Fire Department (Dutchess County)
J. H. Ketchum Hose Company (Dutchess County)

Snow and ice were a major issue on scene, with the water freezing within seconds of hitting the ground. Thankfully, a dedicated crew from Putnam County Department of Public Works (DPW) was able to come out in the middle of the night and salt the roadways involved.

With so many of the area fire departments busy extinguishing this fire, we also asked several other fire departments to stand by in our area in case additional help was needed or in case another emergency arose. This support was provided by:

Sherman Volunteer Fire Department (New Fairfield, CT) sent a crew to Patterson FD.
Golden's Bridge Fire Department (Westchester County) sent a crew up to Brewster FD.
New Fairfield Fire Department (New Fairfield, CT) sent a crew to Putnam Lake FD.

We are pleased to report that there were no major injuries from this emergency.

It was a team effort to extinguish this fire on one of the coldest days on record, and we are greatly appreciative for all the firefighters, EMT's, police and DPW workers that came to help in the middle of the night, working until the next morning.

01/24/2026

01/18/2026

At approximately 4:20 PM on Saturday, January 18, 2026, the Patterson Fire Department was requested for mutual aid assistance by the Putnam Lake Fire Department for a house fire on Lake Shore Drive.

We quickly responded with manpower and several pieces of apparatus, including engine 22-2-4, and tanker/tender 22-4-2. Additional manpower and equipment was called in from Brewster FD, Carmel FD, Pawling FD in Dutchess County, plus New Fairfield FD and Sherman FD in Connecticut.

It takes a lot of manpower and equipment to battle a fire, and we’re fortunate to have terrific support of all the fire departments in the surrounding towns. We all meet together frequently, and practice together as often as we can, so we can support each other and work together effectively when emergencies strike our community.

You can see pictures and video at the below link.

https://www.lohud.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2026/01/17/fire-damages-putnam-lake-ny-home-photos/88239528007/

Putnam Lake firefighters with help from several other departments battle a fire that damaged a home on Lake Shore Drive in the Putnam Lake.

12/27/2025

At approximately 4:20 PM on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, 12/24/2025, the Patterson Fire Department was dispatched to a brush fire off of Apple Hill Road.

The Patterson FD Chief arrived on scene in minutes, finding a large pile of seasoned firewood had caught on fire near a working outdoor boiler, and the fire had also spread to the shed covering. Patterson’s brush truck, 22-3-2, quickly arrived on scene, followed shortly thereafter by tanker / engine 22-4-2 and Putnam Lake Fire Department’s tanker 23-4-1.

Working together, the two fire departments quickly had the fire under control, and prevented the fire from spreading to any of the nearby homes.

Photos by Joey Nickischer.

12/27/2025

At approximately 4:20 PM on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, 12/24/2025, the Patterson Fire Department was dispatched to a brush fire near Apple Hill Road.

The Patterson FD Chief arrived on scene in minutes, finding a large pile of seasoned firewood had caught on fire near a working outdoor boiler, and the fire had also spread to the shed covering. Patterson’s brush truck, 22-3-2, quickly arrived on scene, followed shortly thereafter by tanker / engine 22-4-2 and Putnam Lake Fire Department’s tanker 23-4-1.

Working together, the two fire departments quickly had the fire under control, and prevented the fire from spreading to any of the nearby homes.

Photos by Joey Nickischer.