[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 52 (Friday, March 21, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE QUAKER SPRINGS VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ELISE M. STEFANIK

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 21, 2025

  Ms. STEFANIK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the brave volunteer 
firefighters and first responders that work with the Quaker Springs 
Volunteer Fire Department in the Town of Saratoga, New York.
  Originally formed as an all-volunteer force in 1947, the Quaker 
Springs Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. was formally incorporated in May 
1948. The Company served the Town of Saratoga as well as the broader 
community, traversing the rural countryside between Saratoga Lake and 
the Hudson River. The Company's founding Board of Fire Commissioners 
was composed of local residents Schuyler Peck (Chairman), E. Raymond 
Smith (Treasurer), James Burke, Charles Carden, Arthur Ellis, Charles 
Haas, and Maynard Kirkpatrick, who served as the Company's first fire 
chief. In 1950, the Company was officially renamed the Quaker Springs 
Volunteer Fire Department.
  In the Department's early days, the Quaker Springs volunteers would 
rush out in F-493, a 1942 International Four-Wheel Drive fire truck 
equipped with a 400-gallon water tank and high-pressure pump. This 
truck was acquired from U.S. military surplus at Fort Dix, New Jersey, 
and became an integral piece of equipment for the Department, remaining 
in service for six decades.
  Today, the Quaker Springs Volunteer Fire Department boasts nearly 
fifty volunteers among its ranks, answering approximately 120 emergency 
calls every year. The Department is equipped with a fully-automatic 
alert system to notify those on duty of public emergencies within its 
50.2 square mile service area. The Quaker Springs Volunteer Fire 
Department also maintains mutual aid agreements with neighboring Arvin 
Hart, David Nevins, and Schuyler Hose, fire departments in Saratoga 
County that stand ready to assist at a moment's notice.
  While the Department has modernized over seventy-eight years, the 
essence of neighborly service and rural resilience has not diminished. 
As of 2025, the Quaker Springs Volunteer Fire Department counts among 
its membership descendants and relatives of the founding roster, 
including volunteers from the Bodnar, Burke, Peck, and Wood families, 
continuing a tradition of brave and selfless service.
  On behalf of New York's 21st Congressional District, it is an honor 
to recognize the generations of brave men and women with the Quaker 
Springs Fire Department. These extraordinary individuals have 
sacrificed their time and wellbeing to protect our upstate communities 
and deserve our gratitude and remembrance.

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