| March 15, 2013 marked the 75th Anniversary of the Purchase Fire Department. To give some perspective, Franklin D. Roosevelt was President of United States, Prohibition had recently ended, and the country was still recovering from the Great Depression.
As you can imagine, many changes have occurred since the founding of our department. Purchase College was still being built and there were many farms in operation in Purchase. Our district was considered "upstate" by most people north of Mamaroneck.
When I joined over 30 years ago, it was a home away from home. The department was and is like a family; with many fathers, sons, and brothers who were active members. We averaged about 40 calls a year in those days, and rarely called for mutual aid.
Today, we average nearly 600 calls per year, enjoy a vibrant mutual aid relationship with our surrounding departments, have advanced training for our members, and superb apparatus, second to none. While there aren't any working farms left and most of Purchase has been developed, what endures is a strong brotherhood of volunteers who remain committed to serving the community.
As we celebrate our 75th Anniversary, we will never forget the members who helped build our department; those who were the pillars and foundation of our community and sacrificed so much for our country. I hope and pray that I am fortunate enough to celebrate our 100th Anniversary as the department continues to grow and prosper with younger generations of volunteers sacrificing for their families and for the community. As Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle said on April 18, 1942, "nothing is stronger than the heart of a volunteer." Congratulations, PFD! May our fire department family continue to grow together for generations to come. |
