WAPPINGERS FALLS – Several area fire departments responded to Heritage Financial Park on Saturday to assist the Chelsea Fire Department at the home of the Hudson Valley Renegades, a farm team of the New York Yankees. Chelsea was the first department on the scene, arriving shortly after noon on Sunday, followed by firefighters from Glenham, Castle Point, New Hamburg, Hughsonville, and as far away as Plattekill.
The Renegades were not on the field at the time due to a scheduled game against the Wilmington Blue Rocks in Delaware. The Renegades lost the game 2-1 in 10 innings.
As some Chelsea firefighters staged in front of the stadium, other members prepared for a large water fight around the department’s newest apparatus, a 2022 Pierce pumper/rescue rig that was designed for the wide array of calls that the Chelsea Fire Department responds to. The water fight, known as a “wetdown” in the volunteer fire service, serves as a baptism for the new specialized rig.
The rig, dispatched as 35-51, is outfitted with a 750-gallon water tank, high-output pump, and is set up for firefighting operations on one side while the other side of the rig is equipped for the tools needed at most motor-vehicle accidents. The tools include both battery-operated and hydraulic extrication tools. The new rig replaces a 2005 pumper.
Many Renegades fans that enjoy fireworks displays at Heritage Financial Park are familiar with the Chelsea Fire Department. At every fireworks game, members of the department can be seen just beyond the left field wall, prepared to respond to any pyrotechnics accidents that may occur. The firefighters do not get paid for their presence. This season has the first responders situated in right field due to the ongoing construction out in left field.
The Chelsea fire district encompasses eight square miles and serves portions of the Towns of Wappinger and Fishkill as well as part of the Hudson River. The all-volunteer department, which is…
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