05/17/2026
Official Press Release On The Cease of Operation With The Schuyler Heights Fire District
WATERVLIET, NY â It is with deep sadness that the Schuyler Heights Fire Company, Inc. officially ceased operations with the Schuyler Heights Fire District effective May 17, 2026, at 1:00 AM.
This was not a decision that was made lightly, emotionally, or overnight. The members of the Schuyler Heights Fire Company, Inc. fought extremely hard to avoid this outcome. For well over a year, the Company has been involved in an ongoing legal battle with the Schuyler Heights Fire District regarding what many members believe to be continued overreach, interference with the Companyâs independent governance, micromanagement of operations, and retaliation against active volunteers.
Since 2025, this legal dispute has consumed the time, energy, finances, and morale of the organization. The Schuyler Heights Fire Company, Inc. spent countless hours attempting to protect its rights as a separate New York not-for-profit corporation while still continuing to provide emergency fire protection services to the residents of the district.
On May 13, 2026, representatives of the Schuyler Heights Fire Company, Inc. attended a meeting at the Municipal Training Center with less than 24 hours notice in a final effort to negotiate with the Schuyler Heights Fire District and avoid the cease of operations that had already been approved overwhelmingly by our membership.
Present during those negotiations were Raymond Smith, who has been placed by the District as District Chief, Mark DiPofi, Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners for the Schuyler Heights Fire District, all four elected Fire District Commissioners, representatives of the Fire Company, members of the fire company, and moderators from Town of Colonie Fire Services leadership.
During that meeting, several terms were negotiated between the parties in an attempt to create a path forward that would allow the Fire Company to continue operating while discussions continued in the courts. The Schuyler Heights Fire Company, Inc. made it clear that those terms had to be honored in full before we could call a membership meeting to discuss delaying or suspending the cease of operations vote.
One of the most important requests made by the Fire Company was the ability to hold a completely uncensored meeting with our own membership without interference from the Fire District. Our members deserved the ability to openly discuss the future of the organization, public safety, and the direction of volunteer fire service within the district.
Unfortunately, after the negotiations concluded, the Schuyler Heights Fire District Commissioners backed away from the negotiated terms. In response, our attorney submitted revised conditions that would have extended the cease of operations by four additional days so the Board of Fire Commissioners could formally vote on the matter during their scheduled May 20, 2026 meeting. The commissioners of the Fire District all they had to do was agree and signed to those conditions.
Those efforts were unsuccessful.
The members of the Schuyler Heights Fire Company, Inc. did everything in their power to avoid ceasing operations on May 17, 2026. We attempted negotiations. We attended meetings. We proposed compromises. We delayed action while trying to find solutions. At every stage, our concern remained the same â protecting public safety and preserving volunteer fire service within this community.
Unfortunately, the Fire District Commissioners ultimately chose not to work with the Fire Company in a way that would have allowed those negotiations to succeed.
Throughout this process, the Fire Company has maintained that the Fire District violated a Temporary Restraining Order issued by the New York State Supreme Court which prohibited interference with the internal governance of the Fire Company, including matters involving the election process of the Chief Engineer position. The actions taken after that order caused significant division within the organization and further damaged morale among active firefighters.
The active firefighters of this Company experienced years of micromanagement, internal conflict, retaliation, governance interference, and repeated delays involving membership approvals. Despite those challenges, our members continued to serve this community because they genuinely cared about the residents they protected.
Many of the firefighters who responded to emergencies in this district did not even live within the district boundaries. They volunteered their personal time away from their own families, careers, and communities because they believed in protecting the residents of Schuyler Heights.
At this time, the Schuyler Heights Fire Company, Inc. has only six members who reside within the district, and five of those individuals are not active interior or exterior firefighters. The majority of the firefighters protecting this district came from outside communities because they cared deeply about volunteer service and helping others.
The independent 2023 report titled âLong Term Planning Considerations and Assessment of the Administrative Operations of the Schuyler Heights Fire Districtâ warned of staffing shortages, internal conflict, operational micromanagement, and volunteer retention issues years before many current members joined the organization. The report further stated that âwithout personnel we have âstuffâ, with no ability to actâ and documented concerns that volunteers were leaving due to internal turmoil and operational interference.
The members of the Schuyler Heights Fire Company, Inc. loved being volunteer firefighters. They loved serving this community. This outcome is heartbreaking for many of us who dedicated years of our lives trying to rebuild and protect this organization.
At this point, the Schuyler Heights Fire Company, Inc. will allow the New York State Supreme Court to continue reviewing the ongoing litigation involving the Fire Company and the Schuyler Heights Fire District.
Jeffrey Belschwinder
President
Schuyler Heights Fire Company, Inc.
