On Friday, Oct. 5, Plandome's Fire Chief Ned Peyser was critically injured in a fall off a ladder while cleaning a clogged roof gutter on his home. He passed away without regaining consciousness on Oct. 9. He was 48 years old.

The untimely death of this highly competent and very popular officer stunned the closely knit Village of Plandome and Nassau County's fire service community at large. It was the first time in its 96-year history that Plandome lost a serving chief.

To honor Chief Peyser the village trustees granted permission to hold his wake in the Plandome Village Hall, an exception rarely granted and which has not occurred in recent history. As it turned out the space was needed to accommodate the hundreds of mourners who paid their respects. This included firefighters representing practically every one of Nassau County's 76 fire departments, Nassau County's Firematic Ceremonial Unit, Chief Peyser's home department plus town and district officials, neighbors and many friends from near and far. They were all warmly received by Chief Peyser's courageous and loving wife, Diane, his sweetheart from the fourth grade, and his children, Lauren and Chris, also an active firefighter in Plandome.

Department honors were led by Plandome's 1st Deputy Chief Rick Buhr. One of the traditions for a fallen member is to display a floral arrangement of a traditional Maltese Cross. Due to the large size of the Plandome Village Hall, Buhr ordered the florist to prepare the largest display possible which necessitated bringing in flowers from all over the county. The red Maltese Cross had an additional white floral border in honor of a Plandome tradition that permits only one member, the Chief, to wear a white uniform hat.

The funeral was held at St. Mary's Church on Saturday, Oct. 13 with interment at Nassau Knolls. Four pairs of aerial tower ladder trucks, each displaying large American Flags, lined the funeral procession on Plandome Road, Northern Boulevard and Port Washington Boulevard to display a final and heartfelt tribute to Chief Peyser.