The Fort Johnson Volunteer Fire Company is a volunteer fire department that provides fire protection and emergency medical services to Fort Johnson and Amsterdam New York.
FJVFC was founded in 1935, and manages two stations.[5][6][7]
In 1995, a fire erupted in the home of one of the department's volunteers.[8] David Grandy, a lieutenant of the fire company, his wife Stephanie Grandy, also an active firefighter at the department, and their three children, were killed in the fire. A monument was dedicated to the Grandy family behind station 2 in Amsterdam.[9]
In 2009, the fire company petitioned for a bill to allow non-resident members of their company, sponsored by Senator Hugh Farley.[10] The bill passed in July 2009, making the FJVFC the 24th fire department in the state of NY to receive such an exemption.
In 2011, Chief Alden Miller found child pornography on the company computer, which he turned into the State Police. A volunteer at the company, Randolph Billington, was arrested for allegedly downloading the material.[11] Billington was subsequently also charged with felony child sex abuse.[12]
The department has around 25 active members,[3] and fields over 250 calls per year.
The department has 9 trucks, including 2 fire engines, 2 tankers, 1 tower, 1 wildland fire engine, and 1 rescue.[4] Their original engine from 1935 is still categorized as active, but is not used during emergencies.[4] Both tankers come equipped with an engine, and hold 2,000 gallons of water.[4]
The Fort Johnson Volunteer Fire Company began its 40th anniversary celebration yesterday
The 1995 fire that claimed the lives of David and Stephanie Grandy and their three children took place at their home on Ramsey Avenue in Amsterdam... Although they lived in Amsterdam, both Grandys were very active with the Fort Johnson Volunteer Fire Department.
David E Grandy, 32, died in a Dec 18 fire that engulfed his home in Ramsey Avenue in Amsterdam. The early morning blaze also killed his wife, Stephanie, 30, and their three daughters... As a tribute, the Fort Johnson Volunteer Fire Department, where both David and Stephanie Grandy were active volunteers, unveiled a monument Sunday honoring the family's memory... located behind Fort Johnson Fire Station 2 on Golf Course Road.
PURPOSE : To include the Fort Johnson Fire District in Montgomery County among the list of fire districts and fire companies which are exempt from the statutory limits on the percentage of non-resident members, thereby helping enable this volunteer fire company to have a sufficient level of membership to protect the community.
A volunteer firefighter charged with possessing child pornography last month was arrested again on Tuesday and charged with felony child sex abuse.