[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 82 (Tuesday, June 15, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RONKONKOMA FIRE DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. STEVE ISRAEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 15, 2004

  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my sincere congratulations 
to the Ronkonkoma Fire Department in celebration of their 100th 
Anniversary.
  In September of 1903, after a tragic fire at a resort complex took 
the life of one individual and injured fourteen others, twenty-four men 
from the Ronkonkoma area volunteered to join a fire-fighting group to 
replace the existing neighbor bucket brigade system. This group quickly 
developed, and on June 15, 1904, Ronkonkoma Hook and Ladder Company #1 
was officially born.
  Ronkonkoma Hook and Ladder Company #1's first truck was a horse-drawn 
vehicle carrying one hundred feet of hose. The alarm system consisted 
of a locomotive tire, which resembled a huge iron ring, and a hammer, 
which was chained to the tire so that it could not be carried away. 
There were no fire wells or hydrants.
  While there have been many developments since 1904, including a name 
change in 1933 to the Ronkonkoma Fire Department, the mission still 
remains the same. The men and women of the Ronkonkoma Fire Department 
are proudly serving their community by saving lives and protecting 
property.

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