Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Sleepy Hollow Fire Department

Senate Resolution No. 2099

BY: Senator STEWART-COUSINS

        COMMEMORATING  the 150th Anniversary of the Sleepy
        Hollow Fire Department

  WHEREAS, The volunteer firefighters of New York State  are  renowned
throughout the Nation; their reputation is synonymous with excellence in
the arduous field of fire protection and prevention; and

  WHEREAS,   Fire  departments  are  an  integral  part  of  community
protection services in every locality of our State; during the past  150
years, the courageous and devoted firefighters of the Sleepy Hollow Fire
Department have valiantly responded to all types of fire emergencies and
have won the praise and respect of the community which they serve; and

  WHEREAS,   The   efforts  of  the  courageous,  resilient  volunteer
firefighters of the Sleepy Hollow Fire Department never  cease,  risking
injury  and  life  in  the  pursuit  of public safety when responding to
disasters; and

  WHEREAS,  Organized  on  May  26,  1876,  the  Sleepy  Hollow   Fire
Department  serves  as the primary fire and rescue agency for the entire
Village of Sleepy Hollow, encompassing a  service  area  of  5.1  square
miles  and  a  service  population  of  over  10,000  New  Yorkers;  the
department's five companies provide life-saving services including  fire
suppression,  vehicle extradition, surface water rescue, ice rescue, and
rapid intervention, along with any  other  emergency  response  that  is
deemed appropriate; and

  WHEREAS,  The  Sleepy  Hollow Fire Department's stated mission is to
protect life and property from the adverse effects of fire, and exposure
to dangerous  conditions  created  by  nature  or  man,  to  respond  to
emergencies  in a professional and courteous manner and strive to reduce
the rate of emergencies through public education and  code  enforcement,
and  to  ensure that ethical values remain at the core of every decision
made by every member of the department; and

  WHEREAS, The firefighters  that  make  up  the  Sleepy  Hollow  Fire
Department  have  been,  and  continue to be, an important asset for the
Village of Sleepy Hollow and its residents; these brave  men  and  women
are always ready and willing to come to the aid of their neighbor in the
performance  of  a duty that they have volunteered to do without thought
of fee or reward; without their invaluable service provided at  no  cost
to  taxpayers,  the  Village  would  be less safe and face significantly
higher insurance and tax rates; and

  WHEREAS, In addition to the skill and devoted  service  demonstrated
by  individual  firefighters, the Sleepy Hollow Fire Department reflects
the storied history and impressive developments of firefighting over the
past 150 years; and

  WHEREAS, This Legislative Body cannot express  sufficient  gratitude
to those devoted individuals who recognize that the preservation of life
and property is a sacred responsibility and who make that responsibility
their own by serving as volunteer firefighters; and


  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  sense of this Legislative Body that we should
give special recognition to  those  who  work  so  assiduously  for  the
betterment  of  their  communities,  and acknowledge publicly the heroic
good works performed by the volunteer fire  departments  of  this  great
Empire State, their officers, and auxiliaries; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Sleepy Hollow Fire  Department,
celebrated on May 16, 2026; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the members of the Sleepy Hollow Fire Department.