LONG EDDY – One of the smallest fire companies in Sullivan County is no more, according to local and county officials and members of the department.

The Long Eddy Hose Company, located in the middle of the hamlet, suspended its service nearly two months ago at the request of Sullivan County and State Fire Officials.

Emergency calls are no longer going to the fire department, and instead are being rerouted to the Hancock Fire Dept. and the Hankins-Fremont Center Fire Dept., officials close to the issue said.

“Hankins-Fremont Center has been on automatic response [to Long Eddy Hose Co.] for building fires and brush fires for about two years,” one fireman told the Democrat last week.

It appears now that Hankins-Fremont Center and Hancock will be making a lot more calls to the Long Eddy Fire District.

“We had a call up there last week for a motor vehicle accident but Hancock arrived first,” a Hankins-Fremont Center fireman said.

Francis “Korky” Karkkainen, a long-time Long Eddy resident and six-month commissioner of the Fire District, confirmed Long Eddy Hose Co.’s demise.

“As far as I know there is no fire company, and no commissioners, either,” Karkkainen said. 

He said that county and state fire officials attended the Long Eddy Fire Commissioners meeting a couple of months ago and “dropped the hammer.”

While Karkkainen did not know the specific reason the fire department was shut down he said, “What they [the fire department] have been doing is not really following the correct rules.”

The Long Eddy Fire District extends into Delaware County, north on Route 97 to the French Woods Performing Arts Center and south to near Hankins, an official said.

Currently town, county and state officials are trying to determine what the next steps will be.

The Town of Fremont had an emergency meeting to discuss the issue.

“We are not sure what direction this is going to go,” Fremont Supervisor Brian Brustman said yesterday. “There is [fire] coverage and when we know more we will let you know.”

Brustman said Town Attorney Kenneth Klein is currently researching the matter and will report back to the board.

Currently, the Town of Fremont has three fire districts – the Long Eddy Fire District, Hankins-Fremont Fire District and and Tennanah Lake Protection District.

The Tennanah Lake Protection District is a contract which is paid yearly to the town for fire protection.

According to a firematics website, the Long Eddy Hose Co. was founded in 1907 and has four pieces of firefighting apparatus and one antique fire truck.

The firetrucks include a mini-pumper, an HME/Smeal, a Mack CF and a Sutphen.

The antique truck is a Chevrolet pumper.

The firehouse is located at 4 Church St. and, according to Karkkainen, was built in the 1950s.

“The fire department used to keep its truck in a garage across from the Long Eddy School when I was a kid,” Karkkainen said.

The Long Eddy Fire District is noted for rugged terrain and steep, narrow back roads.

Brush fires along Basket Brook and in the mountains to the north are difficult to fight.

Long Eddy was once known as Douglas City, a name the community adopted for 11 years as an incorporated city.

Long Eddy was a thriving hub of activity in 1867 and incorporated as a city. It dissolved the incorporation in 1878, going back to Long Eddy.