Democrat Photos | Ted Waddell INCUMBENT SUPERVISOR OF the Town of Fallsburg Steve Levine, a Democrat, (left) is seeking re-election against Ken DeMars, a Republican, who feels equally capable of the position.

The Community Gives Back to Firefighters

By Jeanne Sager
ROSCOE — October 9, 2007 — They give back to the Roscoe community, and their community gives back to them.
The Roscoe-Rockland Fire District accepted nearly $8,500 in equipment from the Roscoe-Rockland Fire Department and Roscoe Hose Company, all purchased with donated funds.
The department received a sizeable donation from Lillian and Harvey Buck in memory of Harvey’s late father, Richard Buck, a one-time member of the department. That they combined with funds raised by the Roscoe Hose Company’s annual letter drive to purchase the items seen on the table in front of fire officials. It includes a hydraulic extractor, a tool First Assistant Chief Keith Travers said will make an incredible amount of difference in any situation where someone might be trapped – from motor vehicle accidents to trench rescues. It’s a tool they’ve had their eye on, but a state class on extraction techniques really hammered home what it can do for a department. And with more than 50 percent of the department’s calls based right out on Route 17, this type of equipment could make a world of difference, said Second Assistant Chief Steve Hecht.
Monies raised this year also helped purchase automatic defibrillators along with lightweight Indian tanks, nozzles and two forestry hoses. The latter equipment can make a big difference in a brush fire situation, Travers explained.
Roscoe’s location right off of 17 plays a major role for the fire department, but so does its rural nature. Fires in forested areas are another common incident for the Roscoe firemen.
The firemen gave a big thank you to their community. Donations help them offset the cost they’d otherwise have to cover through taxes, and Hecht said they cover the “extras” the firemen wouldn’t otherwise stock in their arsenal.