Company 3 dedicates new, modern rig

The southern portion of Valley Stream is now being protected by the most modern piece of fire apparatus the village has ever had. The new Engine 343, “The Pride of Gibson,” was dedicated on Sunday afternoon during a ceremony at the Cochran Place Firehouse.

Designing the 2009 Pierce pumper took about three years of planning by a committee made of seven members from Engine Company No. 3. The truck arrived at the firehouse in the spring and members were trained on how to use all of its modern components. It includes a 500-gallon water tank, the ability to pump 2,000 gallons of water per minute, a deck gun, five water intake valves and 12 hose connections. It seats 10 firefighters and has numerous safety features including front and side airbags.

Michael Velte, captain of Engine Company No. 3 and chairman of the new apparatus committee, said his 35-man company will give the truck its own unique character, personality and spirit.

The truck replaces a 1988 Mack Engine, which responded to more than 10,000 calls during it’s 20 years of service to the village. “This engine is the last of what was once an all Mack fleet,” Velte said of ’88 rig. “It has served our company faithfully and admirably.”

The department also still has the truck which served as Engine 343 from 1969 to 1988. That truck, which has an open cab, is the only piece of historical apparatus the Valley Stream Fire Department owns.

Mayor Ed Cahill and Engine Company No. 3 senior member Walter Weltner christened the truck by breaking two bottles of champagne on its stainless steel bumper. Department chaplains Dan O’Brien and Rev. Brenda Overfield each blessed the truck.

Cahill said that firefighters deserve the most modern, safe equipment. “No matter what happens, they’re there for us,” he said of the village’s firefighters, adding that the most important function of the truck is to get them home safely.

The truck is dedicated to former Engine Company No. 3 member Peter Martin. He joined the Valley Stream Fire Department at age 18 but later moved out of the village. Martin died in the line of duty in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

His wife, Alice, was on hand for the ceremony. “I want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of my three sons,” she said. Alice Martin added that even after the family moved away, Peter always thought about how he got his start in firefighting. “He would always say, ‘My heart belongs to Engine 3.’”