A century of service, generations of volunteers and the relationships forged between neighboring emergency agencies were celebrated last Saturday as the Plattekill Fire Department marked its 100th anniversary.

The all-volunteer department celebrated the milestone on Aug. 29 with a centennial parade and community gathering at Thomas Felten Community Park, bringing together firefighters, emergency responders and residents from across the region.

Founded in 1926, the Plattekill Fire Department has evolved from a traditional fire company into an all-hazards emergency response agency that now handles between 800 and 1,000 calls each year. The department has also provided transport-capable emergency medical services for more than six decades.

The celebration began with a parade following the traditional Town of Plattekill Memorial Day parade route and ending at Thomas Felten Community Park. Fire departments, emergency service agencies and community organizations from throughout the region participated, with the Westchester County Parade Judges Association conducting official judging.

The festivities continued at the park with live music from The Hype, entertainment from DJ Paulie H, local food vendors, centennial trophy presentations and a fireworks display.

For department members, however, celebrating the centennial also meant ensuring the community remained protected while they stepped away from their usual responsibilities.

Several neighboring emergency service agencies provided mutual aid coverage for the Plattekill Fire District during Saturday’s celebration, allowing the department’s members to participate in the milestone together.

The Plattekill Fire Department thanked the Port Ewen Fire Department, Rifton Fire Department, New Paltz Rescue and Town of Newburgh Emergency Services for providing coverage throughout the event.

In a statement following the celebration, the department said the assistance allowed its volunteers to fully take part in an occasion that was a century in the making while knowing emergency services remained available to residents.

“Your friendship, professionalism, and willingness to answer the call for assistance means more to us than words can express,” the department said. “Without your support, our members would not have been able to fully enjoy and celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime milestone together.”

Mutual aid is a routine but critical part of the fire service, allowing neighboring departments and emergency agencies to provide personnel, apparatus or coverage when another agency needs additional resources.

For Plattekill, the arrangement took on additional meaning during its centennial.

“The fire service is built on mutual aid, trust, and friendship, and yesterday was a perfect reminder of just how fortunate we are to have such incredible neighboring agencies standing beside us,” the department said.

The spirit of cooperation was also reflected in the centennial parade itself. Departments and organizations from Wallkill, Modena, Clintondale, Gardiner, New Paltz, Milton, Marlboro, Highland, High Falls, Rombout, East Fishkill, Kerhonkson, Ellenville and other communities were among those expected to participate in the regional gathering.

The centennial honored not only current members but also the generations of volunteers who built and sustained the department.

Past Chief and Public Information Officer Chris Mancuso previously described each generation as one part of a much larger organization.

“We’re just a small nail in the firehouse that was built,” Mancuso said. “Every person before us, and every person after us, adds to that structure.”

That history now extends into a second century, with the department’s central mission remaining the same.

“At the end of the day,” Foster said, “we’re here to make sure that when someone calls for help, we’re ready. That’s what 100 years is really about.”