On June 15, 1943 at 8:45pm a meeting of
Temporary Firemen, Merillon Company Number Four, was convened at the Jericho
Turnpike Firehouse in Garden City Park.
The purpose of the meeting was the official organization of Merillon
Company Number Four as a Volunteer Fire Company and the swearing in of the charter
members. Presiding over the meeting
were Garden City Park Water / Fire Commissioners Bonitz, Donohue and
Turbett. Also present was local Judge
Marcus Christ to swear in the new members.
The company was chartered with 46 original members (41 active and 5
members in the armed forces), who were sworn in by Judge Christ at 9:30PM. An election of officers was then held and
Edward Hence was elected the first Company Captain, defeating Milton Blodget 15
to 9. Blodget became the First
Lieutenant of the Company, defeating James Byrne, 13 to 11. Byrne was subsequently elected Second
Lieutenant. At the following Board of
Commissioners meeting held on July 6, 1943, the Board approved the formation of
Merillon Company Number Four, its Charter Members and Officers. Edward Hence served as Company Captain until
March 1945 when he decided not to run for re-election.
Merillon Company Number Four was the
fourth fire company formed to protect the rapidly growing population of the
areas including and surrounding the Garden City Park Water District. Merillon
Company Number Three and Merillon Company Number Four were primarily formed to
cover the areas outside the Water District boundaries including the Heights,
the Manor, and the Oaks. The two
original fire companies of the Garden City Park Fire Department had been
disbanded several years before, due to a disagreement between the fireman and
the Water District. The suspended fireman from the original two companies
(Garden City Park Hook and Ladder and Garden City Park Hose) formed Merillon Company
One and Merillon Engine Two.
Merillon Company Number Four acquired
its first truck, a 1935 1½ ton Ford with a new motor, clutch and recapped rear
tires. One thousand feet of hose, 15
sets of gear, extinguishers and several tools were requested to outfit the new
rig. Dues were set at 10 cents per month
and the by-laws were approved for the Company.
Meetings were set for the first Thursday of each Month at 8:00 PM. The
same day and time remains in effect today.
Once the 1935
Ford chassis was received, it was stored at Dick’s Garage on Hillside Avenue
until a suitable body could be located.
The requested turnout gear was received in October of 1943, but was of
little use since the company had still not located a suitable body for the
truck. The company decided a body should
be built and the completed truck was finally delivered in April 1944, 10 months
after the company was formed. Since the
Denton Avenue firehouse was too small for two trucks (Company Three housed their
truck there also) Company Four’s truck was kept at different locations until a
suitable house could be found or built.
In October 1944, the truck was sent to the Ford Motor Company for an
overhaul.
In January 1948 the foundation for the
new firehouse on Denton Avenue was poured.
This firehouse would be large enough to house two trucks and was
scheduled to be completed by the summer of 1948. The new house would hold Company Number
Three’s truck and a 1947 Ward LaFrance truck that had been purchased for
Company Four, which was delivered in March of 1949. In 1951 a new American
LaFrance truck was purchased which served Company Four until 1965 when a new
Mack was purchased. The 65 Mack and the firehouse were both destroyed by fire
on April 1st 1971. A new modern firehouse was constructed on the
same property as the old house on the Denton Avenue site, to house both
companies; now known as Engine Company Three and Engine Company Four (dropping ‘Merillon’ sometime before) of The
Garden City Park Fire Department. A new
1971 CF600 Mack was purchased to replace the 1965 Mack destroyed in the fire.
The 71 Mack was retired in 2000 and a new state of the art Simon Duplex 65’
Telesquirt was placed into service. The new truck was dedicated to the memory
of Captain Richard W. Provost Sr. who tragically on April 30th of
1977, made the “Supreme Sacrifice” while serving his community, Engine Company
Four and the Garden City Park Fire Department.
Engine Company Four has served the
community and its surrounding neighborhood with pride and dedication. Since its conception in 1943, thirty five
members have served as Company Captain and seventeen members have obtained the
rank of Chief of Department. The entire membership of Company Four continue today, to
dedicate themselves to serve the Department and their Community.
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