[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7258]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING VAN GUARD HOSE COMPANY NO. 1

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                         HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 12, 2011

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, Suffolk County is home to many 
fire department companies that protect and serve our local communities. 
I rise to honor the Van Guard Hose Company No. 1 in Patchogue, New York 
and its members, who this year are celebrating the 120th anniversary of 
its founding.
  In the summer of 1890, local residents determined that the Patchogue 
Fire Department was unable to adequately respond to fire emergencies in 
the southern section of the Village of Patchogue when Captain G.G. 
Horton's barn was destroyed by fire. Due to this unfortunate event, 
these local residents formed the Van Guard Hose Company.
  Residents requested the purchase of a hose cart and the fire 
directors of Patchogue Fire Department granted the purchase of a two-
wheeled cart and 500 feet of hose. Chief Edwin Bailey, the department's 
first chief, was tasked with determining the location to house the new 
equipment.
  Fourteen residents came together to form the present company for its 
regular meeting on January 13, 1891 at the home of Mrs. Alfred C. Mott, 
a resident of southern Patchogue. Today, Van Guard Hose Company No. 1, 
located just down the street from where the company first met, has 
grown to 63 members who bravely and selflessly serve their community.
  Mr. Speaker, it gives me great comfort to know that Long Island is 
still a collection of communities where neighbors look out for one 
another, as they did back in the 1890s. I'm proud to represent Van 
Guard Hose Company No. 1 and its members in the House of 
Representatives. I offer my congratulations on this milestone and wish 
them well for many years of continued service to the Patchogue Fire 
District.

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