Next week, the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Syosset Fire District will be hosting a series of Public Information sessions to discuss plans to replace Station No. 2, which has been serving the Woodbury community for over 50 years.

According to the Board of Fire Commissioners, it is their goal to provide the Woodbury community and all residents of the Fire District with as much information on the project as possible as it progresses. With that goal in mind, three public information sessions have been scheduled for Thursday, March 3 from 7 until 9 p.m., Sunday, March 6 from 10 a.m. until noon and Tuesday, March 8 from 7 until 9 p.m. All of the sessions will be held at Fire Department Headquarters at 50 Cold Spring Road in Syosset.

The Syosset Volunteer Fire Department (SFD) has been providing fire protection to the Woodbury community since 1915. In 1940, the SFD formed a third company, the Woodbury Fire Co., dedicated to serving the Woodbury area and made up of local residents. Since 1952, the Woodbury Fire Co. has operated out of the current Station No. 2 facility located at 158 Woodbury Road.

Fifty years of wear and tear have taken their toll on a building that was originally designed to house a single fire engine built in the 1940's, according to the fire commissioners. Firefighting equipment, technology and tactics have also changed dramatically over these last five decades since the current Station No. 2 was first built. This is especially true since September 11.

Today's firefighters wear much more protective equipment including lifesaving bunker gear and self-contained breathing apparatus. They respond to emergencies on modern firefighting apparatus that is much larger and carries far more equipment than the fire trucks of the mid-20th century. In addition, the SFD, like most other fire departments, also performs lifesaving Emergency Medical Services (EMS) duties. In recent years, the SFD has stationed a dedicated ambulance at Station No. 2 to better address the needs of the growing Woodbury community.

As part of their ongoing efforts to assure the safety of the communities in their District and the safety, health and well-being of the 120 volunteer firefighters and EMTs of the SFD, the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Syosset Fire District is presently formulating plans to build a new fire station which will replace the present Station #2 at the same Woodbury Road site. A new, state-of-the-art facility will provide the space necessary to adequately house today's larger fire apparatus, additional personnel, a vehicle exhaust system, equipment and storage. The new firehouse will also consolidate several buildings at the Station 2 site into one structure that will be designed to blend in with the architecture and character of the Woodbury community.

The estimated costs associated with demolishing the existing firehouse and building a new station that will serve the needs of the Woodbury community for decades to come is $3.9 million. Thanks to advanced planning and prudent fiscal management by the board of fire commissioners over the last several years, the funds needed to pay for this project are presently available and earmarked in a special capital account solely for this purpose. No other funding, such as a capital bond issue or a loan, will be required for the completion of this project and there will be no increase in taxes to pay for this project.

It is also important to point out that the construction process is being designed to ensure that the Woodbury Fire Co. and Station No. 2 will remain in service and available to respond to any emergencies in the Woodbury community throughout the course of the project.

The Syosset Fire District is responsible for overseeing the provision of fire suppression, prevention, and inspection services and emergency medical services in Syosset, Woodbury and portions of several surrounding communities. The District was established on September 7, 1927 by a resolution of the Nassau County Board of Supervisors and held its first meeting on November 11, 1927. The Syosset Fire District's 17 square mile response area is the largest in Nassau County and includes a diverse mix of both residential and commercial structures, 19 school facilities, 16 houses of worship, four nursing homes and a hospital. Approximately 25,000 people reside in the Syosset Fire District and it is estimated that a third of a million additional people cross through the District each day via the Long Island Expressway, Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway, the Northern State Parkway, Jericho Turnpike and the Long Island Rail Road.