The Gordon Heights Fire Department is a
volunteer fire department
A volunteer fire department (VFD) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respond t ...
which is located in and serves much of the hamlets of
Gordon Heights,
Medford,
Middle Island, and
Yaphank
Yaphank () is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 5,945 at the time of the 2010 census.
Yaphank is located in the south part of the Town of Brookhaven. It is served by the L ...
in the
Town of Brookhaven in
Suffolk County, on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, in
New York
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* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
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* '' ...
, United States. It is the sole department within the Gordon Heights Fire District.
History
Prior to the creation of the Gordon Heights Fire Department (GHFD) in 1947, there had been no fire services in the community, dating back to its founding in 1927.
Neighboring departments had no obligation to protect Gordon Heights. Following a fire that destroyed a local church, the Civic Association worked toward forming a community fire department, which was incorporated soon after.
By 1948, the department had received its first fire truck.
When the fire house became too small, the residents moved toward the creation of a fire district, whereby taxes would be levied and financial assistance would be given for the expansion of the department. Petitions were signed by residents and taken to the Town Board. The first commissioners were appointed in 1952–53, and an election was held one year later.
The Gordon Heights Fire District has been at the center of contention in recent years, with some residents complaining that the district has the highest tax rates on Long Island.
[{{cite web, date=2009-03-22, title=Citing Taxes, Some Seek Fire District's Demise, url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/nyregion/long-island/22fireli.html, access-date=2009-06-06, publisher=Linda Saslow, ]New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
The high residential tax burden is due in part to Gordon Heights lacking a commercial tax base.
Opponents also note its small size, serving approximately 900 homes in relation to the surrounding districts that serve between 4,400 and 8,700 households and have a lesser tax burden.
Supporters of the 60-member district note its history as the first black fire department in New York State and its ability to provide services that larger and busier departments can't, such as helping elderly residents plow snow during the winter months.
An attempt to dissolve the fire district in 2006 was rejected by the Town of Brookhaven on the grounds that the petition format was incorrect.
A second petition to dissolve the Gordon Heights Fire District was filed on December 31, 2008.
These attempts were ultimately unsuccessful, and the department is still active as of 2021.
References
External links
Official website Brookhaven, New York
Special districts in Suffolk County, New York
Fire departments in New York (state)