About the East Bloomfield Fire District
A Fire District is a municipal entity which is established and governed by the laws and statues of the state of New York as outlined in the Town Laws of New York State, Chapter 62, Article 11, “Fire, Fire Alarm and Fire Protection Districts” (1). Fire Districts are separate political subdivisions established for the purpose of providing fire protection and responding to certain other types of emergencies in an area or district of a town.
The East Bloomfield Fire District, governed by the Board of Fire Commissioners, is a public body which is an autonomous entity separate and distinct from the Fire Department. A Fire District by statute has the obligation to provide fire/emergency protection to the residents and taxpayers within the geographical boundaries of the Fire District. The East Bloomfield Board of Fire Commissioners are elected volunteer public officials and represent the entire community of the East Bloomfield District in making decisions.
As a Municipality, the East Bloomfield Fire District Board of Commissioners has the legal authority to levy taxes to pay for and provide fire protection for the Town and the Village of East Bloomfield. A portion of your property tax goes to provide this fire protection. The Fire District owns the Fire Station, Apparatus, and all the equipment.
The Fire District Board levies taxes and can incur debt without approval from any other governmental entity. It is responsible for adopting an annual budget – subject to certain expenditure limitations – after a public hearing. These funds then pay for supporting emergency services including apparatus, buildings, equipment, and maintenance thereof.
The Fire Commissioners of the East Bloomfield Fire District are sworn-in officials that must be knowledgeable in, governed by, and follow guidelines that include, but are not limited to NYS Open Meeting Laws, Code of Ethics for NYS Fire Commissioner, New York Consolidated Laws including Town Laws Section 176. “Powers and duties of fire district commissioners”, and East Bloomfield Fire District Policies.
The East Bloomfield Fire District and the East Bloomfield Holcomb Fire Department are separate entities, each having separate and distinct responsibilities for providing emergency services to the public.
To differentiate, the East Bloomfield Holcomb Fire Department is a volunteer organization whose members respond to emergency calls 24/7, 365 days of the year for the citizens and visitors of the East Bloomfield Fire District. The Fire Department is the “boots on the ground” doing the hands-on work when responding to emergency calls. The East Bloomfield Holcomb Fire Department is a non-profit corporation which is established pursuant to New York Consolidated Laws, General Municipal Law – Chapter 24, Article 10, “Firefighters and Police Officers” (2). This entity has its own separate website http://www.eastbloomfieldfiredept.org/ and bylaws that govern the actions and activities of the members of the organization. If you have any questions on the responsibilities and differences of these two organizations, please contact the Fire District Commissioners or the Fire Chief for the Department on the Official’s page.
The East Bloomfield Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners are here to serve its residents and support the delivery of emergency services through taxation and appropriate governance. The Board meets the third Monday of each month at the fire station, 105 Main Street, Bloomfield, NY at 6:30 p.m. East Bloomfield community members are encouraged to attend!
East Bloomfield Fire District Map
To download a higher resolution expandable map, click on image.
History of the East Bloomfield Fire District
In the early part of the 1900’s a group of East Bloomfield residents petitioned the County of Ontario to form a Fire District, and with the help of East Bloomfield Supervisor Frank Forsythe this was granted by the board of supervisors with the establishment of the East Bloomfield Fire District in 1913. No firefighters yet, but a district was formed. There are no records from then about how the community put out fires or handled emergencies until 1921 when a fire destroyed a barn and carriage house on Main street, the spot where our firehouse stands today. As a result, the owner provided the land for the construction of a firehouse and the formation of a fire company. So, the East Bloomfield Fire commissioners established that a Fire Company of the East Bloomfield Fire District be formed. The first meeting of the Community Fire Department serving East Bloomfield and Holcomb was in February 1922.
For more information on the history of the East Bloomfield Fire District, one or more of the links below can be selected. All of the “time capsules” refer to the district as East Bloomfield-Holcomb Fire District. However the November 2017 audit by NYS denoted it as the East Bloomfield Fire District. Bill Compton had it changed, sometime around the time of the new building, approximately 2012. That is why it says East Bloomfield Fire District on the front of the building. A letter from the then secretary Gina Dermody was sent to the state officially changing the name.
District History for 1935-1964
District History for 1966-1985
District History for 1986-2008
Thanks to Dan Kwarta for putting together the 1935 to 2008 history of the East Bloomfield-Holcomb Fire District based on the District Minutes that started in 1935.