Woodland Engine Co. # 4

A Brief History of Woodland Engine Company No. 4

By Firefighter Charles Martin I

Woodland’s story began in 1911, when a group of civic-minded residents recognized the need for additional fire protection on the south side of Rockville Centre. After petitioning the Village and receiving a charter, Woodland Hose Company No. 4 was organized on February 12, 1912, with a handful of men, a horse and a hose cart. The company took its name from the area of the Village it called home.

In its earliest years, Woodland’s apparatus was housed in members’ barns. That changed in 1915, when a permanent firehouse was built at 20 Driscoll Avenue with the help of a $1,500 loan from member Philip Von Dreele. That same year, the members raised funds that were matched by the Village to purchase a motorized chassis. The company’s hose cart was placed on the chassis, creating Rockville Centre’s first motorized piece of fire apparatus.

Woodland’s commitment to the community soon extended beyond emergency response. In the 1920s, after Oceanside High School was destroyed by fire, Woodland offered its firehouse for use as a temporary classroom while a new school was being built. The offer was accepted, and students attended classes in the firehouse.

The company received a Maxim pumper in 1926, and in 1933 its name was changed from Woodland Hose Company No. 4 to Woodland Engine Company No. 4.

Service, Sacrifice & Tradition

Generations of Woodland members have carried forward the company’s commitment to Rockville Centre. Throughout its history, members of the company have risen to serve as Chief of the Rockville Centre Fire Department, while countless others have given years of volunteer service to their neighbors and community.

That history also includes sacrifice. In 1933, Woodland member Robert Ottman was injured while responding to an alarm at Box 4-4-4 and subsequently died from his injuries. Woodland members have also served their country from World War I through the modern era. Among them was David Sorrentino, who was killed in action during World War II. Their service remains part of the company’s history and legacy.

Woodland has continued to evolve alongside the fire service. In 1948, the company became the first in Rockville Centre to operate an enclosed-cab pumper with the arrival of a new Maxim. The firehouse was expanded in 1968 to accommodate a larger Mack pumper, and in 1984 Woodland received a new Pirsch pumper featuring Rockville Centre’s first single-stage pump. During the 1980s, members again improved their home, adding new officer, television and meeting rooms.

Together

Competition, teamwork and camaraderie have also played an important role in Woodland’s identity. The company has enjoyed a long tradition of success in firematic competition, including State Old Fashioned Drill Championships, department tournament victories and State records.

Behind those accomplishments is a simple Woodland philosophy:

“How are we going to do this? TOGETHER.”

More than a century after its founding, the equipment and firehouse have changed, but the values established by Woodland’s earliest members remain. Its members continue to train, respond and serve alongside the rest of the Rockville Centre Fire Department with the same commitment to their neighbors and their Village.

Any run, anytime, anywhere!