The first official volunteer fire department in Bedford Station (now Bedford Hills) was formed in 1903. Twenty-seven men and one boy joined. A pumping engine and a hook and ladder were purchased.
In 1929, a new pumper was acquired. The department was constantly on the alert to obtain betterequipmentt as they developed. In 1958, residents were asked to vote on a bond issue to build a new fire house. The $250,000 bond was approved and workbegann immediately. The new building was completed and dedicated on December 5, 1959.
The annual firemen's parade is a tradition dating back many years. It is a popular event that delights residents. The fire engines, some quaint old ones, and the newest apparatus show preparedness of the fire brigade, are in the parade.
After the parade, there is usually a carnival in the town where many amusements and stands, designed to raise money, add to the fun. Other fund raising events are spaghetti dinners and pancake breakfasts served by fire fighter volunteers.
Due to increasing numbers of house alarms systems in the area, which sometimes malfunction, the number of fire calls have been increasing. In 1995, there were 138 calls. In 1996, 204 calls.
Back in 1960, the 1929 pumper was sold to a lady in New Hampshire, who bought it for her husband as a toy. Thirty-seven years later, the owner donated the pumper back to the Bedford Hills Fire Department. Now members are restoring this antique.
There are more than seventy-five members of the Bedford Hills Fire Department, and they protect approximately 5,330 people in an area of fourteen square miles, primarily residential.
For more information, call (914) 666-8253.