Maynard Fire Department

In 1952, a group of community minded people met to discuss the formation of a new fire district to better protect their community. A petition was circulated and met with overwhelming support. The Maynard Fire District was established on May 1, 1952. The district encompassed a two-mile radius centered at the southern end of Morris Road. With the creation of the fire district the Marcy Town Board appointed a Board of Fire Commissioners. The first board consisted of, Harry Bankert, Wener Goldbach, Bradley Hughes, William Parry, Carl Robert, and Frank Peters.   

In June of 1953 a bond issue was voted on and approved by the residents of the new fire district. The approved bond issue granted $40,000 to cover purchasing land, building, and acquiring equipment. The fire department was formed and officers were appointed. They were, Fire Chief Bernard Ryan, President John Insalaco, Vice President Bernard VanHatten, Secretary Frederick Brower, and Treasurer John Edic.

In September 1953 a contract was let for construction of the fire station on the newly acquired land on Maynard Drive. The three bay block building was occupied in January 1954. Many of the details in and around the new building were being completed by the volunteer firemen themselves. The first fire truck was a 1953 GMC pumper. The truck was delivered in December of that year. The Fire Underwriters tested the truck for service in January of 1954.

The Maynard Fire Department officially commenced service on February 14, 1954. The first alarm of fire for the department was a grassfire in March of that year. In 1964 the Maynard Fire Department Commissioners saw the need to enlarge their facilities. An additional three bay building was completed in 1965. It consisted of two bays, a meeting hall, kitchen, recreation room, office, and storage space. The members of the Maynard Fire Department purchased a plot of land adjacent to the firehouse in 1956, and in July of that year, they held their first field days. For several years, canvas tents were rented to protect the Maynard Field Days from inclement weather. In 1960 two wooden out buildings were erected eliminating the need for tents. The Field Days were one of the main sources of income for the Maynard Fire Department until 1984 when the Board of Directors felt the liability was too great to hold future field days. Shortly after the field days were stopped they were replaced by a door-to-door fund drive.

From its beginnings the Maynard Fire Department always strived to give its fire district the best protection possible.. Old equipment is being replaced, and equipment with new technology is continually placed into service. In the early years of the Maynard Fire Department they carried two Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (Scott Pack) stored in cases on the initial attack pumper. Today they have a total 28 Scott Packs, they are located in rapid deployment jump seats on all the pumpers. In 1954 with the proceeds from a fund drive the Maynard Fire Department purchased an inhalator resuscitator. This device was kept on the salvage truck; its main purpose was to treat firefighters for smoke inhalation. It was also used for treatment of heart attack victims on first aid calls.

Today the Maynard Fire Department runs two emergency medical vehicles. Both vehicles are staffed with highly trained E.M.T.'s and Paramedics. The vehicles are supplied with the latest in emergency medical supplies, including a heart defibulator and 12-lead EKG monitoring. A home radio alarm system was purchased in 1967. These original radios were in the firefighters home. They were meant to alert the firefighters while they were asleep, and unable to hear the siren. Today with the new technology every Maynard Firefighter carries a radio small enough to clip on a belt. In 1979 a Lucas Extrication Tool (Jaws of Life) was purchased by the Maynard Fire Department, they were among the first departments in Oneida County to have the device. The equipment is used to extricate crash victims from automobile accidents. Many lives have been saved with this tool. A Self Contained Breathing Apparatus fill station was installed in station 1 enabling the Maynard Fire Department to conveniently refill its own air packs.

In June of 1993, Oneida County began to house their Air Van 279 in Maynard Station 1. Maynard Firefighters are dispatched anywhere in Oneida County to refill airpacks for other fire departments. In 1956 Maynard Fire Department answered 32 emergency calls in the year. The number of calls that Maynard responded to continued to increase through the years. In the year 2002 Maynard answered 395 emergency calls. From February 14, 1954 until December 31, 2002 Maynard has responded to a total of 7254 calls for help.

Since June of 1953, when the Maynard Fire Department was first organized, its main goal was to protect the people of the fire district. Over 50 years later, and much rich history and dedication by many members, its goal remains the same