The Garden City Fire Department, celebrating 90 years of service in the year 2010, was unique in that its operations commenced as part of a real estate promotion. With the sale of each parcel of real estate, founder Alexander T. Stewart and his successor, The Garden City Company contracted to provide essential services, including fire. The employees of the company all doubled as fireman when necessary, even though they might be regularly employed as clerks or gardeners.

Equipment consisted of only a couple of hand draw hose reels and a ladder rig. In 1899, after the devastating Garden City Hotel fire, the Garden City Company promoted the formation of a regular volunteer organization staffed by the residents of the community.

In 1916, the Company notified all of the residents that they could no longer provide essential services. This led to the formation of the Incorporated Village of Garden City. Still independent, the Fire Department officially incorporated in 1920, and was brought within the Village Government.

The fire department, with its dual mission of fire prevention and fire fighting, still performs a vital service for safety and security of the lives and property of Village residents. Firefighting equipment has evolved over the years. In 1924 the Fire Department added a new ladder truck and a 600-gallon per minute pumper. By 1927, the Village purchased a chemical truck. In 1939, the first 75-foot hydraulic ladder truck on Long Island was placed in service and was replaced in 1958 with a 100-foot hydraulic ladder truck. Presently, a fleet of modern firefighting vehicles with a full range of equipment is housed at all three fire stations located strategically throughout the village.

From the beginning, when 31 local residents became “charter” members, over 400 local men and woman have served in the ranks of the Volunteer Fire Service in Garden City. With a current four company roster of 100 volunteer firefighters, residents are always welcome to join the ranks, as it is “the highest form of community service.” Combined with a company of 34 career firefighters manning the three fire stations within the Village. Garden City is unique as one of only two fire departments on Long Island that can depend on a fast initial response.

Since 1981, the Garden City Fire Department has conducted a Fire Prevention Education Program, with the goal to provide fire safety education to children of all ages from pre-school to high school. The fire department’s program enables each school to comply with New York State Education Department requirements for fire prevention at no cost to the schools. The program began in 1981 with 295 students in attendance. Since that first year the Fire Department has visited or had the students and teachers/parents visit the firehouse every year for a total of 21,593 students and 3,245 adults.