The Orange County Volunteer Firemen’s Association announces that our annual Convention and Parade scheduled for September 26th in Montgomery has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Governor Cuomo’s executive orders.

This annual event is held the forth Saturday in September every year and is attended by most Orange County Fire Departments and many out of county, out of state departments. The first meeting of delegates was held in Middletown on October 8, 1914 when by-laws were drafted.

The first parade was held in Goshen in 1915. Parades were canceled in 1917 as 74 members had gone to World War I. After a couple of years, parades resumed but between 1922 and 1946 parades were held at various places but not on an annual basis. This was probably due to the depression and World War II. The 1948 parade was held in Maybrook and has been held every year since then. This would have been the 105th Convention and Parade.

This year’s parade was to have honored Bob Reynolds of Montgomery, OCVFA president.