Scarborough Engine Company
The Company traces its start to February 3, 1972, when the Village Board passed a resolution officially establishing the Scarborough Engine Company. This followed a decision from the State of New York over the relationship that the Village had with the Scarborough Fire District dating back to 1929. The State ruled the agreement was not valid and had to be terminated. The new Company, the Scarborough Engine Company, was founded to meet the fire safety needs of the area.
The company held its first meeting with six charter members, mostly from the old Scarborough Fire Company. They named Russ Ogden as Captain and David Crowley as Lieutenant. The Engine they were given was a 1948 Mack pumper that was housed in the garage at the Scarborough Presbyterian Church on Scarborough Road. Meetings were held at the main firehouse in Briarcliff.
The planning process was begun for a new firehouse and engine for the company. In the fall of 1974 the company moved into its new quarters located on Scarborough Road and a new 1974 Mack pumper was delivered just before Thanksgiving that year.
The company continued to grow and prosper. Innovation was a key quality of the Scarborough Engine firefighters. In the mid-1970s the company worked to recruit students at the Kings College. A number of members were brought in with several moving on to be officers in the department. This relationship would last until the college closed.
Over the years the company has been proactive in training and the changing world. When the ambulance corps was looking for ways to increase its ranks, the company opened its membership to ambulance-only members. The department’s Explorer Post partnered with Scarborough Engine Company to lead the process to lower the required age of new members to 16. These changes have led to a better and more active department. One of our junior members, Jeff Bassett, would go on to rescue an older gentleman from a house fire on Apple Lane.
In 1996 the company replaced the 1974 Mack with a 1996 Pierce Rescue Pumper. In 2009, construction of an updated and larger firehouse was begun and the company operates there today. In the fall of 2019 the company placed in service a new Pierce Rescue Pumper.
Over the decades four members of the company would move on to become Chiefs of the Department. David L. Crowley, James Y. Snedecor, Thomas B. Gustin, and William Mackintosh.
As we approach our 50th anniversary in 2022, the company is proud of the legacy we have built and the dedication of the people who have served with us over the years.