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ROTTERDAM
Schonowe considers $3.3M firehouse
Old site outmoded; state limits its use
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter

    Back when the Schonowe firehouse was built, the district it covered was largely rural.
    Ground was just being broken on the first houses of the West Hill development, the Thruway didn’t exist and Putnam Road was characterized by its rolling farmland. The stately 26-room Campbell Mansion overlooked the Great Flats and classes were still being taught at the Putnam School — Rotterdam’s last one-room schoolhouse.
    Much has changed since 1948. The sprawling Rotterdam Square mall was constructed, along with a corridor of strip malls running up West Campbell Road, and large residential complexes like Long Pond Village and Putnam Woods have sprouted up in the fi re district, which lies between Interstates 90 and 890.
    “Things have changed,” said John Konik, Schonowe’s fi re chief.
    But the small brick building occupied by the 22-member volunteer fire company on Gordon Road hasn’t changed much since it was constructed more than 64 years ago, aside from a small addition in 1964.
    “The building is defi nitely outdated,” Konik said. “It did the job then, but it’s not doing the job today.”
    Now it’s in need of change, according to members of the district. The structure was cited by the New York State Public Employee Safety and Health Department for a number of violations on its second fl oor.
Without significant changes, the building’s meeting room and kitchen will be closed, said Fire Commissioner Barry Gray. The second floor is already off-limits to the public, but can be used by firefighters until June 2013 because of a waiver the department received earlier this year.
    “If we don’t do anything, we’re going to have a building with no usage whatsoever on the second floor,” he said.
    The district is proposing to build a 12,200-square-foot, three-bay facility in the parking lot adjacent to the existing building, which would then be demolished.
    The total cost of the project is estimated at $3.25 million, which would be bonded out over 25 years. The new plan will be discussed at a public hearing at the old station at 7 p.m. on Aug. 14, with the measure expected to go to a vote among property owners on Aug. 21.
    The cost of the new station would add 87 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The owner of a $200,000 home could expect to pay an additional $174 each year under the proposal.
    Gray said constructing a new firehouse is the most cost-effective way to make the necessary improvements. He said the district explored renovating the old building, but found that it would ultimately cost more.
    “By the time we did all our cost analysis, we thought it would be wiser to propose a new one-story building,” he said.
    Konik said the old firehouse was never designed to house the modern apparatus now used by the fi refighters. He said the area where they suit up in turnout gear is so tight that only a handful can get dressed at one time. “There are guys that actually have to wait their turn to get dressed.”
    Constructing a modern building would also help save the district the cost of upkeep. Konik said the old building is poorly insulated, meaning it costs a lot to heat each winter.
    “The building served its purpose for the last 60-something years,” he said, “It’s got to be updated.” .............................>>>>.....................>>>>......................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01102&AppName=1

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Much has changed since 1948. The sprawling Rotterdam Square mall was constructed, along with a corridor of strip malls running up West Campbell Road, and large residential complexes like Long Pond Village and Putnam Woods have sprouted up in the fi re district, which lies between Interstates 90 and 890.
    “Things have changed,” said John Konik, Schonowe’s fi re chie

Quoted from rampage

I disagree.  I think that Schonowee is necessary.  As far as what improvements need to be done, well, I would leave that up to the people there, and the regulators.  I don't live in Schonowe, so let those people make the decision that is right for them.  If they think that they would be better served by a new station, they'll vote for it.  If they think that disbanding their station and being covered by others (Plotterkill and SSFD), then that will also be their decision.  As far as your remarks regarding Plotterkill, it's not even in the town of Rotterdam, it's in Princetown.  Also, the fire palace, as you call it, covers MANY different types of areas in it's district.  This brings the need for much more varied equipment than some of the other departments.

Quoted from 1251

If that's the case, then the town needs to remove it from the website

http://rotterdamny.org/main/firedistricts.htm

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TO CONTACT US CALL
518-377-3111

We are located at
3985 Putnam Rd.
Princetown,Ny 12306

For Emergencies Call 911


Web Master : web@1stclassinc.com

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Fire Protection in New York State
Fire protection in New York State is complex, with
many options.  Fire protection may be provided
directly by a municipality, arranged under contract
with a municipality, or provided by an independently
governed fire district. Fire departments may have allpaid or “career” members, all-volunteer, or a
combination of paid employees and volunteer
members.  Firefighters may work for a municipal fire
department, be appointed as fire department
members by fire district commissioners, or be
members of a not-for-profit fire corporation.  
This brief provides an overview of the fire protection
options available in New York State, and answers
some common questions about fire protection.
How is fire protection provided in your
municipality?
Cities are required to provide fire protection.  It is typically provided through a municipal
fire department which may have paid and/or volunteer firefighters. According to the
Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY), 42 cities have all or mostly
paid fire departments, while 17 are all or mostly volunteer departments. Paid firefighters
are commonly known as “career” firefighters. According to a 2003 FASNY report, the
median wage, benefits and overtime payment for a full-time firefighter statewide
(excluding NYC) was $57,278.  Examples range from $49,764 in the North Country to
$101,702 on Long Island.
Villages must also provide fire protection. A village may (a) have its own fire
department, (b) contract with the fire department of another municipality, (c) contract
with a fire district, or (d) form a joint fire district with a town and other villages.  Where
villages have fire departments, they may also have career, volunteer, or a mix of both
types of firefighters.  While the reported numbers of combination fire departments vary,
most seem to be located in Monroe and Westchester Counties. In Monroe County,
which has 10 combination departments, nearly one third of those departments’
members are career firefighters.
State law does not allow towns to provide their residents with fire protection as a
municipal function.  Instead, fire protection is provided either by a fire district or through
creation of a fire protection district.  
There are about 1,850 fire suppression or prevention organizations and over 114,000
firefighters in the state, including over 96,000 volunteer firefighters.
The fire district system was
established in the 1932, by
the State Legislature as a
means of insuring adequate
fire protection throughout the
state. Some 800 fire districts
were established, primarily
around the existing volunteer
companies, which were
originally established to
protect rural villages with
horse drawn apparatus.
Robert H. Fickies,
Commissioner, Averill Park &
Sand Lake Fire District No. 2 Is the number of volunteer firefighters declining?
The number of volunteer firefighters has declined by 15,000 in the past 20 years. There
is also a decline in availability of volunteer firefighters, particularly in the area of
emergency medical services.  More and more fire districts are employing paid drivers or
station masters to respond to calls during the day.  While there is uncertainty about the
numbers of departments with both career and volunteer firefighters, the Office of Fire
Prevention and Control has a list of 40 combined fire departments, including the
Fredonia Fire Department with 6 career and 130 volunteer firefighters, and the Ridge
Road Fire Department in Monroe County with 50 career and 4 volunteer firefighters.
To address the decline in volunteers, the Legislature has enacted various incentive
programs, such as property tax credits and the firefighter length of service award
program (LOSAP) – essentially a pension-like program for volunteers.  These incentive
programs are offered at local option.  Local LOSAPs must be audited annually by an
independent certified public accountant, with the results reported to the State
Comptroller. The state now offers a $200 income tax credit for active volunteer
firefighters and ambulance corps members.
What is a fire district?
A fire district is a separate unit of local government that is established for the purpose of
providing fire protection and response to emergencies.  A fire district need not have its
own firefighters or equipment; it can contract with a neighboring municipality or district.
Fire districts are not necessarily coterminous with towns. They may span several towns
or portions of towns, and a town may contain parts of multiple fire districts.  In addition,
the governing boards of one or more towns and one or more villages may form a joint
fire district.  If a joint district is formed, the municipal governing boards must adopt a
local law dissolving any existing fire, fire alarm or fire protection districts contained
within the joint fire district. A fire district is created, extended, or dissolved by a town
board.  However, such changes must be at the request of a majority of the fire district
commissioners or land-owning resident taxpayers of the district, and is subject to
permissive referendum. Details on how such changes may occur are in the Department
of State’s publication on fire protection consolidation.
A fire district is overseen by an elected board of commissioners composed of five
members serving five year terms.  (The fire commissioners in joint fire districts may be
elected or appointed.) The Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) reports that there are
867 fire districts, an increase of 20 districts in the past 20 years. The commissioners
appoint the members of the fire companies within the fire district, and may provide for
the removal of those members for cause.  They also organize, operate, maintain and
equip fire companies. Who elects fire commissioners?
The residents of a fire district who are registered to vote may cast their ballot for
commissioners in a fire district election which is held the second Tuesday of December
(with limited exception). Unfortunately, few
people other than friends and families of
firefighters cast votes in fire district elections.  
In the spring of 2007, Commission staff
conducted an informal survey of participation
in 2006 fire district elections.  They sampled
20 town clerks in 17 counties whose
jurisdictions included 62 fire districts and
found that over 25% of those fire districts
failed to file election results with the clerks. Of
those reporting, it was found that most had
fewer than 100 people voting, and in 18 out of
44 districts fewer than 50 people cast votes.  
While participation in fire district elections was minimal, there were some anomalies in
the voting totals for some rural towns.  For example, in the Town of Greenfield
(Saratoga County), 414 people cast ballots in the election for fire commissioners.  
However, this election followed the defeat a few months earlier of a proposition to
purchase two ladder trucks (590 votes cast) and a candidate was challenging the
incumbent who had been championing the purchase of the fire trucks.
Four of the districts in which the most votes were cast were in the Town of Huntington,
population 195,289. The number of people voting in all of the Huntington fire districts
was 2573 out of a total electorate of 125,692, or two percent of the electorate.
What is a fire protection district?
Although the term “fire protection district” is similar to “fire district,” they represent very
different ways of managing fire protection.  While a fire district is a separate unit of
government, run by elected commissioners; a fire protection district is a geographic
service area within a town, established for the purpose of fire protection. Towns contract
for fire protection services within these districts at the expense of the property owners in
that district. The contract may be with a city or village fire department, a fire district, or
an independent fire company.  
A town board can create a fire protection district, consolidate adjoining fire protection
districts, alter the boundaries of a fire protection district, or dissolve a fire protection
district on its own motion or by petition. There are 951 fire protection districts in the
state, down from 1,015 in 1988.  
Contracts between a town and a fire protection district vary in detail; some simply name
a price for protection. The trend is for town boards to convert fire protection districts to
Fire District Commissioner
Total Votes  
(December 2006 – 44 Districts Reporting)
Number of Fire
Districts
Votes Cast
(Per District)
18  0 - 50
8  51 - 100
5  101 – 200
6  201 - 300
7  301 - 600 fire districts, placing the decisions regarding fire protection in the hands of  
independently elected fire commissioners.
What is an independent fire company?
An independent fire company is a special not-for-profit corporation formed to provide fire
protection to a fire district, fire protection district or village under contract.  The contract
is with the governing body – a board of fire commissioners, town board, or village board
of trustees.  There are 800 independent fire corporations.
How is fire protection financed?
In cities and villages, general municipal tax levies support fire protection. In areas of the
town served by fire protection districts, the town levies property tax.  
A fire district has the power both to incur indebtedness and to require the levy of taxes.
Fire district taxes are assessed against the taxable properties within the district and
levied and collected at the same time and in the same manner as town taxes.  Towns
collect fire district taxes and distribute them to fire districts. These funds may be used to
purchase buildings, equipment, and insurance, as well as pay for firefighter training.  
They may also pay for annual inspection dinners and refreshments served after
meetings and emergencies.  
Fire districts get over 90% of their revenue from property taxes. Total revenues raised
by fire districts have increased 61% from 1995 to 2005, with an average annual
increase of 4.9 percent, as reported in the Financial Report on Fire Districts.
In addition to funds raised through taxes, there are two other main sources of funding.  
The first is funds that are donated to a fire department, such as through coin drops or
other charitable fund-raising activities or paid in exchange for facility rentals or special
services.  The second source is a tax on certain fire insurance policies written by out-ofstate insurance companies.  Foreign insurance companies contribute two percent of the
fire premiums written on property located in the state to be distributed to the fire
departments and fire districts statewide. Fire insurance money - $43 million in 2007 -
must be used for the benefit of the fire department and its fire companies, as
determined by the members.  For example, fire insurance funds may be used to
purchase dress uniforms, turn out gear, and office equipment; and to pay for installation
banquets and holiday parties.  However, those funds may not be used to fund a length
of service award program, and members may not be compelled to use these monies to
defray ordinary operating expenses of the fire department. (A portion of the tax is also
used for the support and maintenance of the firemen's home at Hudson, New York.)  
Other sources of funding include federal assistance, state grants, county subsidies, and
tax-exempt bonds. How much is spent on fire protection?
Statewide, in 2006 $1.5 billion was spent on fire protection among counties (4% of
total), cities (39%), towns (11%), villages (9%) and fire districts (37%).  With such a
large share of expenditures attributable to a relatively little-known unit of local
government, this brief examines fire districts in more detail.
Fire districts, as autonomous units of government, report their expenditures directly to
the Office of the State Comptroller. OSC reported that in 2006 fire districts spent $601.1
million for current operations, equipment
and capital outlay, and debt service.  
Expenses for current operations were
responsible for 64% of all spending in fire
districts, with equipment and capital outlay
(28%) and debt service (8%) making up
the balance. This distribution of
expenditures has been consistent over
the past decade, and reflects the capitalintensive nature of fire protection and
emergency medical services when largely
provided through volunteer labor.
Does the town board have approval over a fire district budget?
No.  Fire district budgets are determined by boards of commissioners, and inserted,
unchanged, into town budgets.  Fire districts prepare a proposed budget and discuss it
at a public hearing on the third Tuesday in October.  Notice requirements include
publishing notice of the hearing in the newspaper and posting notice on the town sign
board and district website, if one exists. The budget is submitted to the town on or
before November 20 each year.
Are there any limits on how much a fire district may spend?
Yes, under State law fire districts are subject to a spending limit. The spending limit is
$2,000 for the first $1 million of assessed valuation within the district, and $1,000 for
each additional $1 million of assessed valuation. Some expenditures excluded from the
cap, such as premiums required to cover firefighters injured in the line of duty; salaries
of paid firefighters who supplement volunteer forces; service award program
contributions; and most forms of debt service. The State Comptroller’s office is not
aware of any districts at or near their limit.
Are concerns over the cost and provision of fire protection new?
No, the provision of fire service has been evolving for some time, and concerns about
the way it has historically been provided have been ongoing.  In 1984 the National Fire

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Fire Districts

Grant and Scholarship
The NYS Volunteer Recruitment Service Scholarship is a scholarship offered to volunteer fire and volunteer ambulance companies to use as a recruitment and retention incentive for new members.  Read more...

Rotterdam Junction Fire Dept.

Chief: Shawn Taylor
Fire House Phone #: 887-5575
Website

Rotterdam Fire District #2 Fire Dept.

Chief: Dean Ronca
Fire House Phone #: 355-1341
Website

Carman Fire Dept.

Chief: David Galka
Fire House Phone #: 355-0291/355-6425
Website

Pattersonville Fire Dept.

Chief: Tony Landolfo
Fire House Phone #: 887-5111

Pine Grove Fire Dept.

Chief: Wesley Blessing
Fire House Phone #: 355-9430

Plotterkill District #8

Chief: John Tobiassen
Fire House Phone #: 377-3111
Website

South Schenectady Fire Dept.

Chief: Michael France
Fire House Phone #: 355-7720
Website

Schonowe Fire Dept.

Chief: John Konik
Fire House Phone #: 377-0939
Website

Quoted from rampage

You might want to follow the link for Plotterkill...

http://www.plotterkillfire.com/

Click the "Contact Us" link...

Quoted from 1251

I assumed that Plotterkill was in Princetown, since the town of Princetown hired the band I used to play in to perform many times...............a couple of the shows were for their yearly chicken bbq, which were held at the Plotterkill FD..............so I was confused as to why they were listed on the Rotterdam site.................I was trying to find a map that showed the coverage areas of each fire district.............