News

October 17, 2012

Bath (WENY) - A local volunteer fire department is celebrating quite the milestone this year. Bath Volunteer fire department has been around for 175 years and now, its one of the oldest fire departments in the area. Back in 1837, the village trustees started the fire department and they bought their first fire truck for a reasonable 400 dollars. A lot has changed since then. Today, there are 3 companies that make up the department, Rescue Hook and Ladder Company #1, Frank Campbell Hose Company and the Edwin C. Cook Hose Company. The 3^rd Assistant Chief John Conrad says there are 90 people in the department, but none of them would be here if it wasn't for the community support over the past two centuries.

      “We are one of the oldest around in this area and 175 years just goes to show the background that comes from the community and the thing is we didn't survive 175 years by just being us and putting out fires. It was all done with the community and that's the big part of it,” Says Conrad.

     If you would like to help one of the oldest departments in the Southern Tier, enter their gun raffle. Just call Telephone: 607-776-6909