Kings Park Firefighters Gear Up to Celebrate 100 Years of Service

Kings Park Fire Department is preparing to celebrate their 100th anniversary with a community celebration this Saturday. It's one more example of how much they give to the town - for quite likely more than a century. 

"The general yard that is kind of agreed upon is the year 1913," said Miles Borden, firefighter and historian of the Kings Park Fire Department. "But there is evidence, I've found, that this little fire brigade existed as early as 1908. 

The earliest days of the Kings Park Hook & Ladder Fire Company - as Kings Park Fire Department was first known - started off as a private group of men using a small wagon that could be pulled by hand or a horse, that had a small hand pump on it. 

Borden said he's found handwritten records in which these earliest members of the fire department like William Baker report entering the fire company in since 1910, and hints of the fire brigade dating back to 1908. 

The brigade met and housed its wagon inside Clayton's livery barn on Meadow Road, near where Clayton's Funeral Home now stands, according to Borden. 

Borden said there was a "terrible fire" in 1917 that burned down most of Kings Park's business district that led the community to organize the Kings Park Fire District, and subsequently, the Kings Park Fire Department in 1924. 

A department of 50 members has since grown to more than 100 members with much updated equipment, but many of the same families still serve to protect Kings Park. 

Borden said he is the fourth-generation of his family to serve as a firefighter, and several other Kings Park families have volunteered for three generations.  Their service, leads to close ties among the community and a sense of local pride. 

"It’s a feeling of belonging to the community, a feeling of serving the community. I’m positive that for many of us, we saw our fathers or our grandfathers volunteer. You get almost that family heritage feeling," Borden said. This Saturday, the Kings Park Fire Department will officially celebrate its 100th anniversary with a Concert in the Park, from 1 p.m. - 10 p.m., on the fields of RJO Elementary School and William T. Rogers Middle School. 

"It's one continuous party throughout the day. No presentations, it's purely entertainment and fun," said Christopher Triolo, a firefighter and co-chair of the 100th anniversary celebration board. 

The free event will feature live performances kicking off with a special Kings Park High School alumni group who has reunited within the past year. The line up then follows: Bruno Brothers, performing classic rock; 26 & 6, a rock band; DJ Entertainment by Parties Alive; All Star; then close with Jessie's Girl, an 80's show band known for their costume changes. 

Other activities will include a full-size carousel for children, inflatables, obstacle courses, a rock wall, vending from local business owners, and fun-filled activities for children. 

The night will end with a bang of a fireworks show by Grucci. 

"If you miss the fireworks in Kings Park this year I think you might miss it for a long time," Triolo said. 

Neighboring fire departments and ambulance squads have generously offered to provide emergency coverage of Kings Park for Saturday.