Schenectady Fire Department
Incorporated in 1900, the city of Schenectady fire department had one main goal; to prevent life and property loss in the city of Schenectady, New york. In 1917 the Schenectady Permanent Firemans Association was formed as a firefighters union to help the firefighters, their families and the community they serve. In 2000 the department celebrated their 100th anniversary as they became an ISO Class 1 department.
The Early Years and The Depression
Originally having 10 functional stations, the SFD had a rather large area to cover for the time. Starting with horse-drawn units the department did an adequate job of protecting the city. Thanks to large companies like Alco and General Electric the population of the city skyrocketed. At this point the department management decided to retire the horse-drawn units for ones without horses. The first Gasoline powered fire engine in the United States was built by American Lafrance Fire Apparatus of Elmira, New York on a stock Ford chassis. Eventually all units were motorized. After the Great Depression hit in 1929, Most departments had to close firehouses. This was not the case for the SFD as "the city that lights and hauls the world" was still afloat. The department continued to thrive duriing these tough times.