BALDWIN FIRE DEPARTMENT

On August 15, 1951, the Board of Fire Commissioners authorized the formation of Hook & Ladder Company No. 2. The “Organizational Meeting” was held at Headquarters on August 27, 1951 at which time the Captain and two Lieutenants were selected. A “Special Meeting” was held on September 10, 1951 to accept one more applicant. The six Charter Members included: George Bennett, Charles Corey, Anthony DeCesare, Robert Hill, Russell Newhall, and Henry Thielman. Hook & Ladder Company No. 2 was officially organized on September 19, 1951. The Company was assigned a 1930 American LaFrance. The Company met Headquarters until the new quarters at Grand Avenue and Rose Boulevard were completed in August of 1952. 

Only one day after the Organizational Meeting, the members responded to their first call, August 28, 1951 at 3:40 PM, to the Sunset Rest Restaurant, Rose Blvd., and Grand Avenue. (Later known as Danny’s Haven). The first call the company responded to after it was officially formed was on September 28, 1951 at 11:30 PM to Milburn Avenue and Atlantic Avenue. 

In 1955, the Company acquired a 75’ American LaFrance aerial ladder truck, today proudly displayed in the National Hall of Flame Museum in Phoenix Arizona. In 1980, the Company acquired another aerial truck, which was a 100’ American LaFrance rear mount “Water Chief.” The Company ran a 1991 Mack Baker 95’ Tower Ladder until 2015 when a new Seagrave 95-foot state of the art Tower Ladder was put into service with the newly inventoried Jaws of Life, air bag system, extrication and rescue tools as well as all standard Hook & ladder Company equipment. 

Members of Ladder 2 Baldwin New York both past and present that took this great calling are always remembered and held in high regard. They are only one company of the seven companies in the Baldwin Fire Department. The Baldwin Fire Department, only one Department of seventy-one departments in Nassau County. They are only 30 of the 1,134,400 Firefighters in the United States today. Their allegiance to God and Country and the Fire Service leaves a legacy for all future generations to remember that the battle against fire and its hazards carries a heavy price and only the most persistent and courageous are willing to make the needed sacrifice to protect America from fire. As lesson learned and suffered with the line of duty death of Firefighter Stephan Barry on June 4th, 1976. 

Hook & Ladder Company Two, aka “Ladder 2”, (Baldwin’s Bravest) continues to answer the alarm for structure fire, auto extrication, water rescue, hazardous-material incidents, and all type rescue operations not only in Baldwin but surrounding areas in Nassau County. Ladder 2 also was dispatched to ground zero on 9-11-01 a day which will live in every Americans memory as well as being assigned to the Rockaways NYC in days that followed. 

Ladder Two has responded from their quarters on Grand Avenue and Rose Boulevard as a recognized and respected group of highly trained firefighters for the past seventy years.