The Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department celebrated 120 years of volunteerism this past weekend.
Department members held a joyous celebration at the American Legion Post 1404, located at 209 Cross Bay Blvd. Broad Channel, on Saturday, Feb. 22, to honor past and current volunteers.
Ed O’Hare, a retired volunteer or “volley” EMS worker, reminisced about his time serving his community with the volunteer fire department. O’Hare was among 26 “Happy Hour Crew” members honored during Saturday night’s ceremony.
He told QNS about his 20-year career with the fire department and the origin of the “Happy Hour Crew.” O’Hare’s tenure with the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department spanned from the mid-80s to the 90s and another tour in the early 2000s.
“I did two stunts, 10 years apiece. But I wasn’t the only one on it. We formed a group about 16 years ago. They’re different families, and we called it the Happy Hour Crew, and on Friday nights, we would go to different…houses and bring hors d’oeuvres and beers,” he said.
O’Hare explained that the “Happy Hour Crew” was a family away from home, comprised of department members. If someone within the crew is in trouble, the Happy Hour Crew brings support. “ What it is is if somebody’s in trouble, we help raise money, and the whole group was on it,” O’Hare said.
The tight-knit group became very close over the decades, spending summers and holidays together as well as raising children together. “And, you know, when you have young kids, you want to go have a good time, and you can’t get a babysitter, so if I went to your house, I’d bring my kids, you would have the group, you would have your friends, so we ended up making—we call it a framily,” O’Hare said. “ And then, the kids are getting married now, and we’re going to their weddings.
O’Hare said that his time as an EMS worker gave him valuable life skills. “ The first aid you would learn from there, I still use it the rest of my life,” O’Hare said.
O’Hare shared a childhood memory that inspired him to work with the volunteer fire department.
“I lived with my grandmother, and they saved her on a call when I was younger, and I always said I was gonna join,” O’Hare said.
O’Hare said many people may not realize the daily sacrifices volunteer firefighters and EMS workers put in. “ This is year-round. It’s all volunteer; you don’t get paid. They’re coming out at two or three in the morning and then going home, going to sleep, and going to work,” O’Hare said.
O’Hare believes there is a stark difference today, as fewer people are interested in joining volunteer fire departments. He urges younger people to join, saying that the experience can be a stepping stone for future career development.
“We were sitting around about a year ago, and about 25 people who went through the department over the years became something with the city. One guy became a lawyer because of the volleys because he got off the streets,” he said. “ You can make yourself a nice career by getting educated for nothing. It’s an education.”
Council Member Joann Ariola was also in attendance at Saturday’s event and told QNS that the department has a generation-spanning history. “Members of the Broad Channel community have always staffed it. It’s a generational community that has always been dedicated to the volunteers, raising money for the volunteers and being part of the volunteers,” Ariola said.
Ariola said this year’s celebration was especially touching as she personally knows members of the “Happy Hour Crew.” “ That’s all the people who were in my age group or a bit younger, and we raised children and grandchildren together. So it was a grouping of people who were honored that I knew personally, and they call each other… family,” she said. “Then, when I came into the picture, I was extended family.”
Similar to O’Hare, Ariola emphasized that volunteerism must continue.
“ We have to continue the tradition. We’re looking forward to a brand new firehouse. We have so much to look forward to, and I think that 120 years from now, after we’re all long gone, the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Corps will still be there,” she said.
The Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department was established on August 31, 1905, to reduce property loss due to fires, as there was no fire protection available on the island at that time.
This brigade was formally organized into the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Association under its first chief, Edward H. Schlueter, on Dec. 15, 1907. The current firehouse at 15 Noel Road was opened on Firemen’s Day in 1908.
On Aug. 15, 1951, the department officially changed its name to the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department.
The department was reorganized on Aug. 15, 1951, and its name was changed to the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department. In 1956, the department added volunteer ambulance services to provide first aid and ambulatory care to the residents of Broad Channel.
The Volunteer Ambulance Corps was granted its New York State Certification in 1994. Since then, all responding members have been required to be New York State Certified in all aspects of the fire service and EMS.
Broad Channel Volunteers Inc. is a 100% volunteer nonprofit organization, whose mission is to protect the life and property of those who live on the island of Broad Channel and the surrounding Jamaica Bay. The department relies solely on grants, door-to-door donations, and fundraisers. Today, the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department remains one of nine volunteer fire departments still serving New York City.
