Firemen’s Home to celebrate 125th year

The FASNY Firemen’s Home, which serves as a residence for 85 members from across the state, is celebrating 125 years.
The weekend-long celebration kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday with a memorial service and Caring Window dedication in the home’s chapel. With the exception of Saturday’s parade and banquet, the 125th anniversary events will take place at the fireman’s home at 125 Harry Howard Ave.

“The Caring Window was done specifically so we could unveil it this weekend,” Firemen’s Association Chief Administration Officer David Quinn said Monday.

“It’s a stained glass window with the volunteer firemen’s home gates — on our property — in the window. The window is really about demonstrating caring for those firemen, who cared for others throughout their life.”

U.S. Rep. John Faso, R-19, plans to attend the 125th anniversary celebration, he said Monday.

“A fireman runs into danger to save those in need,” Faso said in a written statement. “The Firemen’s Home is a place that provides care for those heroes in need.

“The 125th anniversary of the FASNY Firemen’s Home is an event that will honor the longstanding tradition of the Home’s mission to nurture the camaraderie unique to the fire service. This is a very important event where people should come to honor and respect the men and women who volunteer to protect our community.”

Saturday will be filled with events, starting with a parade at 9:30 a.m., Quinn said. The parade will step off from Green Street and maks its way through Hudson, ending at the Firemen’s Home, Quinn said.

“We’ve tied the parade in with the Hudson Fire Department annual inspection and parade,” Quinn said. “It’ll be mostly trucks and fire apparatus, old antique fire engines, bands and marchers, going over to Park Place, down Warren [Street], then over to North Sixth Street, Short Street and up to the home.”

Residents and visitors can also enjoy a fire muster at the firemen’s home Saturday starting at 10 a.m., Quinn said.

“Like they used to do it many years ago,” Quinn said.

The muster revives a tradition of gathering fire apparatus on the grounds of the firemen’s home, according to the FASNY website. Saturday’s muster is open to hand-drawn, horse-drawn, motorized not-in-service and motorized in-service apparatus with prizes awarded for each category, according to the website.

Guests at the muster will also enjoy fire demonstrations and games, tours of the fireman’s home and the FASNY Museum of Firefighting, according to the website.

At noon, firefighters will participate in a water pumping demonstration, using an old-time handpumper, Quinn said.

“They used to do it that way before we had mechanics and trucks that had motors and engines,” Quinn said. “You had guys on each side, pumping the hand pumper to manually pump water.”

A brick memorial rededication will take place at the home at 2 p.m., where members of the association will have Saturday’s date and a maltese cross added to an obelisk stone memorial located on the grounds, to signify the date and 125th anniversary, Quinn said. A ma

Throughout the day, guests will also enjoy a gold leaf exhibit where they can make their own gold leaf keychains, food, music and games, Quinn said.

The last time FASNY Firemen’s Home hosted a large-scale event was in 2007, for the grand opening of the new home, Quinn said.

“I think it’s exciting for the home members, a lot of the home members’ departments will be coming up to march, then they’ll have a chance to visit with their brother and sister firefighters that they may have not met before,” Quinn said.

A FASNY Firemen’s Home membership coordinator will also be at the event to assist people interested in joining, Quinn said.

The 125th anniversary events are free and open to the public, with the exception of Saturday night’s banquet, Quinn said.