[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BURTONSVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE 
                               DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ELISE M. STEFANIK

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 17, 2024

  Ms. STEFANIK. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the 75th 
anniversary of the Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department in Esperance, 
New York.
  The first 22 members of what would become the Burtonsville Volunteer 
Fire Department convened on May 2, 1949, to elect its leadership and 
organize an all-volunteer company. After officially incorporating the 
department later that year, members held meetings in their private 
homes and barns as they had yet to establish a central station. The 
department was able to raise sufficient funding and purchased its first 
vehicle in 1950--a 1948 GMC truck--while additional equipment was 
stored on the premises of the local Methodist Church. Years later, 
after replacing the body of the original GMC, the department was 
colloquially known as the ``Pepsi Cola fire department'' for the red 
and white colors of its truck.
  In 1951, the department passed a resolution to purchase land at the 
intersection of Burtonsville and Colyer Road for its firehouse. 
Construction began in 1952, and the first onsite meeting was held on 
May 13, 1954. In the decades that followed, the firehouse grew and 
started additionally serving as a community center that hosted bingo, 
concerts, movie nights, fundraisers, auctions, and many special 
dinners. An extension to the firehouse in 1990 expanded their premises, 
including a new bay for additional and larger trucks.
  Since its incorporation, the Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department 
has consistently modernized and increased its capabilities. The 
department formed an auxiliary in February 1955 to supplement their 
organization and welcomed its first female volunteers from this 
auxiliary in the 1960s. The organization has continued to grow in both 
its personnel and capabilities as some volunteers are now trained as 
First Responders and Emergency Medical Technicians to provide life-
saving care at the scene of an emergency. Furthermore, the department's 
volunteers now respond to instances of flood and storm damage, as well 
as hazardous materials incidents, and cooperate with other New York 
State fire departments to assist in emergencies.
  On behalf of New York's 21st Congressional District, it is an honor 
to recognize the history of the Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department 
and the generations of brave volunteers who have worked to ensure the 
safety of their community.

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