Built to Respond
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Article and Photos by Jessica McCafferty
Champlain and Au Sable Forks residents have increased peace of mind these days with new
fire houses to strengthen their community infrastructure. The new stations represent both the departments and community’s investments in long-term protection and firefighter safety.
Both stations are operated entirely by volunteers. Each district has five commissioners and a treasurer who handle the business side of operations. These are the officials that set the annual budget and manage the overall health of the fire district. They work with their municipalities to set a tax rate to meet department needs, but not over tax the community, while ensuring those who put their lives on the line have the safest working conditions possible.
SB recently toured each of the new stations with a district commissioner, discussing the driving forces behind the new buildings. Commissioner Chris Trombley of the Champlain Fire District/ Niagara Hose Company #1 and Commissioner Louis Garso of the Au Sable Forks Fire Department walked me through their stations pointing out the new features. Their stories are similar since everything was brought up to ADA standards and are NFPA and OSHA compliant; however, each station was built using different materials and has unique touches.
Outdated and Undersized
Both stations had been facing not only space restraints, but also safety concerns. Neither was up to modern fire safety standards making firefighter health and operational efficiency critical concerns. Improved decontamination areas were needed for gear and firefighters alike. Equipment barely fit in the stations. Au Sable Forks’ 70-year-old station’s ceiling was low, mean-ing an engine had to be taken outside for service, regardless of the weather or time of year.
Both communities experienced growth in recent years and, with that, there was an increased need for responders. Champlain’s 59 square mile district responded to 175 emergency calls in 2025. Its volunteer crew is made up of 38 firefighters supported by a 13-member Auxiliary.
Au Sable Forks district of 107 square miles responded to 156 emergency calls in 2025.
Its fire crew consists of 30 volunteer fire-f ighters supported by an 18-member Auxiliary.
Crews respond to structure fires, motor vehicle accidents, EMS assists and ser-vice calls. “With our enhanced 911 Mutual Aid System we are called to help at many fires outside our district throughout the year,” shared Garso. Trombley added that “Champlain’s cross-border mutual aid assistance involves agencies in Quebec and Vermont”.
Building Budgets
The new 12,500 square foot $9 million Champlain fire station was funded through a 2024 voter-approved capital project referendum and long-term, low-inter-est financing through the USDA Rural Development program. “Fortunately, the district had already paid for all of its fire trucks prior to financing the new station,” Trombley noted “Additionally, members of the Niagara Hose Company No. 1 helped offset costs by personally funding interior furnishings, including kitchen equipment.”
The design of the Champlain facil -ity was created by Weimann Lamphere A rchitec t s of Colchester, Vermont . O’Connor Construction, a North Carolina company with offices in Glens Falls was the General Contractor.
Funding for the new 13,500 square foot Au Sable Forks facility came from a $5.9 million bond issue that the community approved in 2021. “The district’s build-ing committee included local business people, commissioners and consultants who focused heavily on getting the most ‘bang’ for the community’s investment,” Garso stated proudly. “Our goal was to build a modern, safe station that honors an Adirondack Great Camp aesthetic and we did it completely within budget,” he noted with a smile.
LaBella Associates of Rochester was the architect for the project. Hueber-Breuer Construction Company of Syracuse man-aged the construction.
Building Basics
Each of the new fire stations doubled its footprint, providing room for equipment and allowing for future growth. The “Hot Zone” in each station encompasses garage bays where the trucks are stored as well as apparatus bays, decontamination rooms and drying rooms – all of which have in-floor heating. The command center, dis-patch area, turn out gear rooms, washers, and hose driers are all part of the Hot Zone.
The upgraded ventilation systems ensure that toxins covering the gear after fire calls are removed from the air for firefighter safety. Responders exposed to toxins from smoke and flames utilize new decontami-nation showers and wash and hang gear to dry to ensure carcinogens and other con-taminants are removed.
The “Cold Zone” in each station is an area in which administrative tasks, community out-reach and off duty socialization takes place. There you will find the Commissioners’ shared office, an office for the Fire Chief and officers, a records room, a day room for down time and a community room and kitchen that are rentable to local resi-dents for events. Both Community Rooms are bright, well-lit spaces with full indus-trial kitchens.
Memorabilia line the walls and halls of the two stations with photos of crew and fires of days gone by. One of the most impact-ful photos on display in the Au Sable Forks station was one showing the 1925 fire that burned bridge to bridge includ-ing the fire station itself. It is a powerful reminder of the town’s past and may even have influenced the design deci-sions in the new station, including the department’s use of masonry construc-tion as part of its design.
Safety First
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) is an invaluable tool in firefight-ing. Each station has dedicated bays for SCBA cleaning that also contain the com-pressor to refill SCBA tanks.
Both have space available for indoor training, an important feature for vol-unteers since physical fitness and the ability to work as a team in high stress situations is invaluable.
The new firehouses in Champlain and Au Sable Forks were built with response in mind. Having replaced outdated, undersized facilities with modern build-ings with safety features that prioritize firefighter health and safety, both com-munities have made a sound investment in their futures.
Operated entirely by dedicated volunteers who cover vast districts and respond to hundreds of emergencies a year, these sta-tions represent far more than just brick, mortar and wood. They stand as a testa-ment to the enduring dedication of the crews and the unwavering support of the residents they protect. Honoring the his-tory of their towns—much like Au Sable Forks’ rising like a phoenix from the ashes of its past—these new facilities ensure that local responders have what they need to continue protecting their communities for generations to come.
Champlain Fire Dept
Niagara Hose Company #1
11006 State Route 9,
Champlain, NY 12919
(518) 298-5500
Au Sable Forks Fire Department
2456 State Route 9N
Au Sable Forks, NY 12912
(518) 647-5582
THE RESTORATION OF A NAMESAKE
The Champlain Fire Department, Niagara Hose Company #1, took its name from its first piece of firefighting equipment — a Niagara hand pumper. This apparatus consisted of a large, four-wheeled wagon lined with copper, capable of being filled with water either by buckets or through a suction hose. A second hose, curved over the wagon, was used to direct water onto fires. The wagon was hand-drawn, steered by a tongue, and pulled using long ropes. Pump handles on each side allowed as many as 30 men, lined two-deep, to operate the pump, producing up to 150 gallons of water per minute with a full crew. In recent years the company was able to have the long retired piece of equipment fully restored.
SOMETHING OLD FOR SOMETHING NEW
It’s certainly something to see. In celebration of Au Sable Fork’s new Fire Station the Veterans of the North Motorcycle Association repurposed old red and white retired fire hoses to create a flag, dedicating it to the new station.