| Electric Hose Company No. 4 |
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The Electric Hose Company No. 4 has been providing continuous service to the Village of Babylon for over 100 years.
The Electric Hose has become the fifth company in the Babylon Fire Department to reach this milestone. Founded on
April 4, 1902, the company took their name from its proximity to the old electric company on Cedar Street.
One of the major responsibilities of the Babylon Fire Department is to provide efficient rescue and fire protection to the
various beach communities in the Town of Babylon along the Ocean Parkway. The Electric Hose prides itself on
being one of the primary response units for all beach alarms.
The Cedar Street Firehouse…
Since its inception, the company has been quartered at three different stations on the same site, the most recent being
erected in 1961. In the beginning, the property, the firehouse, and apparatus were all owned by the company and not
the village. Residents living north of the railroad had to pay a special fee to keep the company operational.
Eventually, the company’s assets were deeded directly to the Village, which has maintained it to this day.
Cedar Street has served as quarters for hand-drawn pieces of apparatus that later gave way to horse-drawn variety,
and eventually in 1922, the first motorized pumper. In 1961, the firehouse was completely renovated to reflect the neat
one story brick architecture that appears today. It is configured with a meeting room, kitchen, and two-bay truck room.
In September 1983, fire erupted in the unoccupied truck room causing considerable damage to the building. Through
the extraordinary efforts of the Electric Hose members together with those of our fellow Babylon Fire Department
Companies, the fire was extinguished and both the building and the trucks were back in service the next day.
The E4 Apparatus Then and Now…
Until 1910, all of the company’s firefighting apparatus was hand-drawn. Later, teams of horses were introduced to
provide quicker response, and were used exclusively until the first motorized REO wagon was launched into action in
1922. The first exposure to a motorized pumper occurred in 1931 with the purchase of an American La France. Since
1948, the Electric Hose has operated two pumpers from its headquarters in response to alarms. This began the
Electric Hose Company’s two truck operation with the units designated 1-2-4 and 1-2-5.
A 1954 International pumper eventually replaced the American La France that was involved in a severe accident at the
intersection of Higbie Lane and Sunrise Highway in West Islip. Then in 1969, a new 1000 gallon-per-minute Ward La
France made Cedar Street its home. In 1974, the old Dodge was turned out to pasture and was replaced by a new
four-wheel drive International with a front mounted 750 gallon-per-minute pump, making it ideal for beach operations
since it could be driven to the waters edge to secure a vital water supply. In 1993, the International was struck by an
auto while responding to an alarm at the intersection of Cooper Street and East Main Street, and prematurely retired
from service. It was replaced with a Ford F-350 that had the same front-mounted pump. In 2007 the F-350 was
replaced by an F-650 Firematic B.R.A.T. that far exceeds the capabilities of the pickup.
Today, the Electric Hose operates a 1985 Pierce Arrow (Unit 1-2-5) and a 2007 Ford F-650 B.R.A.T. (Unit 1-2-4).
The Electric Hose has become the fifth company in the Babylon Fire Department to reach this milestone. Founded on
April 4, 1902, the company took their name from its proximity to the old electric company on Cedar Street.
One of the major responsibilities of the Babylon Fire Department is to provide efficient rescue and fire protection to the
various beach communities in the Town of Babylon along the Ocean Parkway. The Electric Hose prides itself on
being one of the primary response units for all beach alarms.
The Cedar Street Firehouse…
Since its inception, the company has been quartered at three different stations on the same site, the most recent being
erected in 1961. In the beginning, the property, the firehouse, and apparatus were all owned by the company and not
the village. Residents living north of the railroad had to pay a special fee to keep the company operational.
Eventually, the company’s assets were deeded directly to the Village, which has maintained it to this day.
Cedar Street has served as quarters for hand-drawn pieces of apparatus that later gave way to horse-drawn variety,
and eventually in 1922, the first motorized pumper. In 1961, the firehouse was completely renovated to reflect the neat
one story brick architecture that appears today. It is configured with a meeting room, kitchen, and two-bay truck room.
In September 1983, fire erupted in the unoccupied truck room causing considerable damage to the building. Through
the extraordinary efforts of the Electric Hose members together with those of our fellow Babylon Fire Department
Companies, the fire was extinguished and both the building and the trucks were back in service the next day.
The E4 Apparatus Then and Now…
Until 1910, all of the company’s firefighting apparatus was hand-drawn. Later, teams of horses were introduced to
provide quicker response, and were used exclusively until the first motorized REO wagon was launched into action in
1922. The first exposure to a motorized pumper occurred in 1931 with the purchase of an American La France. Since
1948, the Electric Hose has operated two pumpers from its headquarters in response to alarms. This began the
Electric Hose Company’s two truck operation with the units designated 1-2-4 and 1-2-5.
A 1954 International pumper eventually replaced the American La France that was involved in a severe accident at the
intersection of Higbie Lane and Sunrise Highway in West Islip. Then in 1969, a new 1000 gallon-per-minute Ward La
France made Cedar Street its home. In 1974, the old Dodge was turned out to pasture and was replaced by a new
four-wheel drive International with a front mounted 750 gallon-per-minute pump, making it ideal for beach operations
since it could be driven to the waters edge to secure a vital water supply. In 1993, the International was struck by an
auto while responding to an alarm at the intersection of Cooper Street and East Main Street, and prematurely retired
from service. It was replaced with a Ford F-350 that had the same front-mounted pump. In 2007 the F-350 was
replaced by an F-650 Firematic B.R.A.T. that far exceeds the capabilities of the pickup.
Today, the Electric Hose operates a 1985 Pierce Arrow (Unit 1-2-5) and a 2007 Ford F-650 B.R.A.T. (Unit 1-2-4).
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