Taghkanic Fire Company Celebrates 75th Anniversary
Updated: Oct 10, 2019
A gathering of over 500 town residents and friends joined together at the Taghkanic State Park on a balmy Saturday evening, September 7th, to celebrate the Taghkanic Fire Company’s 75th Anniversary.
Children’s activities began at 4 o’clock with a booth for cotton candy, snow cones and popcorn and multiple choices of massively large Bouncy Houses. Music was presented by locally talented bands of Wyld Blu, Graham Ticky Band and Alex Jornov Band that played for the guests throughout the evening with dancing through the night. The award-winning chefs of the Ancram Fire Company served a bounty of BBQ Chicken with potato salad, cole slaw and fresh local sweet corn. And pastry chef Ann Hanson provided the sweet delights with four custom designed cakes. The dramatic climax of the evening was a presentation by American Fireworks Display over beautiful Lake Taghkanic.
The Fire Company had been organizing this celebration for over three years with the sole source of funding coming from the annual Memorial Day and Labor Day coin drop collections. The Planning Committee of Carmine Nero, Jeff Browne, Andrew Saltano, Arthur McGuire and Chief Bill Hilscher guided this event through necessary meetings, site approvals and police permits into a smoothly flowing evening full of community spirit.
Bill Hilscher, Fire Chief for the past 30-plus years, expressed his gratitude by saying; “This celebration is our way of giving something back to this community for their continued support for the past 75 years.”
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The Taghkanic Fire Company has much to celebrate over the last 75 years. It officially came into existence on March 31st, 1944. After a local barn burned to the ground in 1943, the town residents realized the need for their own fire department. The first meetings were held in the schoolhouse across from the Methodist Church in West Taghkanic. State organizations helped the Fire Company with the process of becoming a not-for-profit independent fire company. The fire company purchased its first truck for $75 while a federal government surplus sale provided the acquisition of a 1942 Chevrolet Pumper truck for $900.00. The pumper truck is now known as Truck #1 and is still in service today.
The Taghkanic Fire Company is an independent corporation supported by an all-volunteer membership of 25 with a support group of 15 more members. Fire Chief Bill Hilscher welcomes all volunteers. Members are needed not just for interior fire fighting but as exterior firefighters and drivers while auxiliary members are needed to help support all of their fund-raising and public relations programs.
Applications are available by calling 518-851-5931 or visit the website