The Gates Fire District dedicated the new Company No. 1 fire station at 2355 Chili Avenue and celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Gates-Chili Fire Department on Saturday, June 29. The new facility houses the fire department’s headquarters and main dispatching office, which serves as the back-up communications system for Monroe County’s 911 center, and replaces the former station that opened in 1955. A special guest for the day of celebrations was Lt. Robert Aponte from the New York City Fire Department (Engine 320, Queens) who spoke to the visitors about the events of 9/11. Aponte is shown at right in the photo at right with Gates-Chili Fire Department Chief Kevin Kassman. The $3.5 million project was approved by voters at a public referendum in December 2000 and following that approval, the district purchased additional property to the west and south of the former firehouse to accommodate the new structure. Included are a seven-bay garage for the five emergency vehicles housed at Company No. 1, one bay designated for mechanical and maintenance vehicle service for all district equipment. The Gates-Chili Fire Department, founded on February 15, 1927, had 26 members and one horse-drawn cart stored at St. Mary’s Farm on Fisher Road. The first truck was purchased in January 1928. Today’s Gates-Chili Fire Department covers 32 square miles and responds to an average of 6.5 emergency calls per day. The district is diverse and includes the Greater Rochester International Airport, the Erie Canal and Genesee River, more expressway miles than any other fire district in Monroe County, two railroad lines, commercial and industrial developments and residential areas. Besides Company No. 1, there are stations at the corner of Long Pond and Spencerport Roads (Company No. 2) and at the corner of Buffalo and Coldwater Roads (Company No. 3). |
