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| Celebrating the completion of an upgrade to a building at the Firefighter’s Museum are volunteers, from left, Pete DiPinto, Dan Brooks, Gene Perry, Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, Paul Callegari, and Museum President Patrick Perry. The Assemblyman secured a $50,000 state grant to replace the facility’s siding. Robert Chartuk |
Volunteer firefighters have been serving Long Island for decades and have a museum dedicated to them in Ridge, a facility that was recently upgraded thanks to state and town grants.
“The museum traces back the vital role volunteer firemen and women have played in our communities over the years,” noted Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, who secured $50,000 to upgrade the siding on the museum’s administration building. Another $50,000 was provided by Brookhaven.
The museum is a collection of artifacts and equipment used in fire services over the years, including vintage trucks, pumps, and a horse-drawn hose cart. There’s also a racer used in motorized competitions, uniforms, and plenty of photos and plaques showing the rich history of the fire service.
“When Assemblyman DeStefano approached me about the grant, immediately the both of us knew that using it for the Fireman’s Museum was absolutely the best use of this money,” said Town Councilman Mike Loguercio. “Since both he and I are actively involved in fire service, we understand the need to maintain this museum so that all generations of firefighters and community members can enjoy it for years to come.”
The administration building was named for former Brookhaven Supervisor Henrietta Acampora, an early advocate of the museum at Fireman’s Memorial Park just off Route 25. On a recent Saturday, a dozen helpers, all volunteer firefighters from local departments, were making way for a new building to expand the museum’s holdings.
“The museum is a team effort with many people chipping in from departments across Long Island,” said Patrick Perry, museum president. “We have many items on display that were donated by the various departments.” Perry is working to restore a 1930 fire truck he obtained from a collector in Greenport.
Also located on the grounds is the Gene Gerrard Truck Building, named for the former town councilman, which houses a 1952 GMC brush truck, a 1951 Jeep beach rig, and a 1965 Maxim pumper. There’s also a firematic research library and a truck house in honor of Ridge fireman Jack Austin, who led the original creators of the museum. Another building is an 1889 firehouse donated by the Center Moriches Fire Department.
The museum is currently open via appointment by calling 631-924-8114. It will have regular hours in the spring, Perry said. Admission is free. Visit them online at www.brookhavenfiremuseum.org