Troy Fire District Once Called a Barn Home

From the rubble of an early-morning fire on Saturday, Jan. 29, 1955, the Troy Fire Protection District was born.

The story of the district's history appears on the Troy Fire District's website, starting with the fire that destroyed Al & Bob's Tavern on that frigid morning 58 years ago—when the temperature hit 5-below zero.

Troy residents saw the need for a fire department. They rallied support and donated money to purchase the district's first fire engine—a 1929 REO Speedwagon obtained from Lockport for $250. And, by October 1956, the Troy Fire District had moved into its first fire house—the Troy Fire barn.

Today, the district has two stations and is on a pace to answer about 2,500 calls this year, Deputy Fire Chief Andrew Doyle said.