KENT VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
100% VOLUNTEER
Founded 1971 Celebrating 44 years of Neighbors Helping Neighbors
The Kent Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Police are sworn Peace Officers in the Town of Kent and the State of New
York pursuant to
Section 209-c of the General Municipal Law (GML) and are registered through
the Central State Registry of Peace Officers. We are charged with certain
responsibilities, which consist of; the direction of traffic at all fires,
drills, parades or emergency scenes, crowd control, maintaining safe conditions
for emergency personnel at all fire and emergency scenes and other lawful duties
that the Chief may order.
All Fire Police are required to successfully complete
the twenty-two (22) hour New York
State Fire Police Training Course and FEMA Incident Command System courses ICS-100
and
ICS-700. The Fire Police course must
be completed within one year of appointment and all fire police are
further encouraged to seek additional training to assist them in carrying out
their duties.
According to most historians, the "first so called organized" fire department was the 500 slaves comprising a Roman fire brigade formed by Marcus Licinius Crassus who it is said, negotiated payment for fighting each fire before having his squad attempt extinguishment. Since most members were slaves, they were not too eager to put themselves in harm's way and the group were soon disbanded. The first linking of fire and police duties occurred in 6 AD by Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus. Remembered as the a first Roman Emperor, he formed a corps of the Vigiles or Vigiles Urbani (watchmen of the city). Comprised of soldiers, this group proved more successful and patrolled Rome searching for fires while also acting as a police force.
Along the same lines, in 1254, King Saint Louis IX of France formed the Guet Bourgeois (Burgess Watch) where town folk established night watches, again acting as both firemen and police, looking for fires as well as criminal activity. This possibly could be considered the first volunteer fire/police "department".
WHO ARE THE NYS FIRE POLICE?
The first mention of the "Fire Police" by the Firemen's
Association of the State of New York was at their fourth annual
convention held in Elmira in 1876. They were again mentioned as
"Protective Police" at the 1877 convention with the suggestion
that they, "should be composed of the most reliable people to be
found". However, fire police in New York State, as they are
known today, originated with a bill sponsored by Senator Arthur
L. Swartz and a companion bill sponsored by Assemblyman Harold
C. Ostertag at the request of FASNY. The measure was passed in
both houses of the NYS Legislature on May 20, 1939. On May 29th
of the same year, then Governor Herbert H. Lehman, signed
Chapter 583 of the Laws of 1939 legalizing the formation of fire
police by state fire departments. Fire police can be called a
'step-child' of both the volunteer fire and police
services. They are unique in
that they are first trained firefighters, belonging to a fire
department and responsible for all the requirements and duties
of a volunteer member. However, when placed on duty by the
chief, or activated for an emergency or other detail, they have
certain police powers. These are granted under Section 209 (c)
of the General Municipal Law. As New York State Peace Officers
they are required to take an oath, a copy of which must be kept
on file in the town clerk's office in the municipality in which
they serve. As mandated by
Executive Law, Section 845 (Chapter
482, Laws of 1979 and Chapter 843 Laws of 1980) they are also
listed with the Central Registry of Police and Peace Officers at
the New York State, Division of Criminal Justice Services-Office
of Public Safety in Albany, NY. It is the duty of each fire
chief to insure compliance and to update his fire police with
DCJS as required. Those failing to do so may be held in contempt
of court. Although most officers are well aware of their
authority under
Article 35, (Use of Force Justification under
New York State Penal Law) in all but the most immediate serious
situations, most units consider it prudent to relegate these
problems to, and request assistance from, the attending police
agency. The existence of and size of each fire police squad or
company is up to each department and is governed by their needs,
location and size. This can be as few as two members that
respond to calls in their private autos to well over fifty
officers equipped with a specially designed piece of
apparatus or even a boat.
New York State is not unique in having Fire Police as part of their Fire Departments. Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware and Maine are among those states with similar laws providing for Fire Police officers. Even countries such as Japan, Australia and New Zealand utilize Fire Police in various capacities.
An often overlooked facet of fire police operation is that it provides an interface between the fire department and the public. The public seldom have occasion to talk with firefighters while they are working at an emergency. Fire police at times have the opportunity to speak with bystanders and answer questions about the operation, their volunteer fire department, or simply give directions or suggest possible detours. During these times their professionalism, appearance, and demeanor, or lack thereof, reflects directly on their department and the entire volunteer fire service.
DUTIES THAT HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO THE KENT &
Traffic control at fires, car crashes, mass casualty
incidents (MCI) emergencies, drills and other fire
department operations which would include:
protecting firefighters and emergency medical
service (EMS) personnel.
In addition they may also establish and maintain:
ALWAYS use "Due Care" when emergency or maintenance workers are working on the roadway, its the law!
Volunteer Fire Police Association of The State of New York
Contact the Fire Police Lieutenant
Kent Volunteer Fire Department
2490 Route 301
Kent Cliffs, NY 10512
845-225-2223
845-225-0562 (fax)