Our history
170 years of volunteers, and the Chiefs who led them.
Volunteers organized the Saugerties Fire Department in 1856. Every year since, a Chief has led the department, and the list of those names is the record of neighbors who stepped up. Some years list two Chiefs because leadership changed hands mid-year.
170 years of service
Every Chief of the department, year by year, from 1856 to today. Keep scrolling and the years move across the screen.
Chiefs of the 1850s
- 1856T. J. Barritt
- 1857C. W. Baker
- 1858A. J. Myer
- 1859James Maines
Chiefs of the 1860s
- 1860Joseph R. Boice
- 1861Wm. R. Shultis
- 1862Wm. Hanna
- 1863H. D. Laflin
- 1864Isaac Rosepaugh
- 1865B. M. Freligh
- 1866H. D. Laflin
- 1867H. D. Laflin
- 1868A. J. Myer
- 1869Wm. C. Mitchell
Chiefs of the 1870s
- 1870Alfred Teetsel
- 1871Wm. C. Mitchell
- 1872Louis Yerger
- 1873Louis Yerger
- 1874Louis Yerger
- 1875Louis Yerger
- 1876Jacob L. Williams
- 1877Louis Yerger
- 1878Patrick Maxwell
- 1879A. J. Myer
Chiefs of the 1880s
- 1880B. M. Freligh
- 1881B. M. Freligh
- 1882A. J. Myer
- 1883A. J. Myer
- 1884A. J. Myer
- 1885B. M. Freligh
- 1886B. M. Freligh
- 1887B. M. Freligh
- 1888B. M. Freligh
- 1889Wm. Ziegler
Chiefs of the 1890s
- 1890L. J. Butzel
- 1891H. A. Ohley
- 1892H. A. Ohley
- 1893R. D. Suderley
- 1894Ed. Lynk, Jr.
- 1895E. J. Lewis
- 1896Wm. V. Burhans
- 1897W. V. McCormick
- 1898Ernest Hassinger
- 1899Martine Cantine
Chiefs of the 1900s
- 1900Frank J. Dale
- 1901James Teller
- 1902Lewis H. Kleeeber
- 1903Thomas J. Bradley and John McCormick
- 1904Ernest Myer
- 1905William MacMullen
- 1906Jonas Myer
- 1907Robert B. Ballman
- 1908Fred Granwohl
- 1909James Reynolds
Chiefs of the 1910s
- 1910John B. Adams
- 1911John Weinands
- 1912Frank V. Underhill
- 1913Henry T. Keeney
- 1914Henry Schneider
- 1915John C. McCarthy
- 1916Chester Lowe and John F. Carnright
- 1917Joseph Huber
- 1918John F. Carnright
- 1919Michael Fitzgerald
Chiefs of the 1920s
- 1920Chandler DuBois
- 1921George B. Ohley
- 1922Josiah Perks
- 1923John J. LaVelle
- 1924Leo McEnroe
- 1925Lyman Hallenbeck
- 1926William Tracy, Sr.
- 1927Milton Hill
- 1928Frederick Van Voorhis
- 1929Arthur Petschke, Jr.
Chiefs of the 1930s
- 1930Edward King, Jr.
- 1931Harry Desmond
- 1932Frank Martin
- 1933William McCormick
- 1934Edward M. Flanagan
- 1935Oscar Ehrler
- 1936John King
- 1937Joseph Sweeney
- 1938George Tymeson
- 1939Raymond J. Mooney
Chiefs of the 1940s
- 1940Edmund U. Burhans
- 1941Edward Van Wart
- 1942Cornelius Lynch
- 1943Peter Hackett
- 1944Vernon Tymeson and Lester Vandemark
- 1945E. Leslie Fellows
- 1946Roy Palmer
- 1947Phillip Breithaupt
- 1948George W. Gardner
- 1949Albert P. Hrdlicka
Chiefs of the 1950s
- 1950Merlin Synder
- 1951Thomas P. Gilmore
- 1952William Rightmyer
- 1953Russell O'Dea
- 1954William Meiswinkel
- 1955Vernon Benjamin
- 1956Edward Buckley
- 1957Donald R. Sullivan
- 1958John F. Carnright, Jr.
- 1959Edward P. Sweeney
Chiefs of the 1960s
- 1960John A. Hill
- 1961Robert J. Desmond
- 1962Henry F. Amend
- 1963Earl J. Martin
- 1964Walter I. Johnson
- 1965LeRoy W. Snyder
- 1966August L. Fellows
- 1967Homer Van Voorhis
- 1968George H. Warringer
- 1969Carroll Kimble
Chiefs of the 1970s
- 1970John J. Wood Sr.
- 1971John G. Kolano
- 1972Ernest R. Dunn
- 1973Edmund B Whitaker
- 1974Joseph L. Schaffer Sr.
- 1975Edward Haines
- 1976Donald R. McCaig
- 1977Robert R. Wade, Sr.
- 1978James Mergendahl, Jr.
- 1979Peter P. Karashay
Chiefs of the 1980s
- 1980Joseph L. Schaffer, Sr.
- 1981William Mergendahl
- 1982William Mergendahl
- 1983Joseph Doyle
- 1984Joseph Doyle
- 1985Ray Brackett
- 1986Ray Brackett
- 1987William Mergendahl
- 1988William Mergendahl
- 1989Richard Jackson
Chiefs of the 1990s
- 1990Richard Jackson
- 1991William D. Warringer
- 1992William D. Warringer
- 1993Gary Anderson
- 1994Gary Anderson
- 1995Richard Jackson
- 1996Richard Jackson
- 1997Ed Quirk
- 1998Ed Quirk
- 1999Earl Martin Jr. and Brian Martin
Chiefs of the 2000s
- 2000Brian Martin
- 2001Brian Martin
- 2002Tom McCarthy
- 2003Tom McCarthy
- 2004Alfred Bell
- 2005Brian Martin
- 2006Brian Martin
- 2007Brian Martin
- 2008Joe Schaffer Jr.
- 2009Joe Schaffer Jr.
Chiefs of the 2010s
- 2010Anthony Bell
- 2011Dave Mason
- 2012Dave Mason
- 2013Dave Mason
- 2014Dave Mason
- 2015Dave Mason
- 2016Dave Mason
- 2017Chris Wade
- 2018Chris Wade
- 2019Chris Wade
Chiefs of the 2020s
- 2020Chris Wade
- 2021Chris Wade
- 2022Scott Campbell
- 2023Scott Campbell
- 2024Chris Mason
- 2025Chris Mason
- 2026Chris Mason
Chiefs by year
The full list, newest first. When two names share a year, leadership changed during that year.
| Year | Chief |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Chris Mason |
| 2025 | Chris Mason |
| 2024 | Chris Mason |
| 2023 | Scott Campbell |
| 2022 | Scott Campbell |
| 2021 | Chris Wade |
| 2020 | Chris Wade |
| 2019 | Chris Wade |
| 2018 | Chris Wade |
| 2017 | Chris Wade |
| 2016 | Dave Mason |
| 2015 | Dave Mason |
| 2014 | Dave Mason |
| 2013 | Dave Mason |
| 2012 | Dave Mason |
| 2011 | Dave Mason |
| 2010 | Anthony Bell |
| 2009 | Joe Schaffer Jr. |
| 2008 | Joe Schaffer Jr. |
| 2007 | Brian Martin |
| 2006 | Brian Martin |
| 2005 | Brian Martin |
| 2004 | Alfred Bell |
| 2003 | Tom McCarthy |
| 2002 | Tom McCarthy |
| 2001 | Brian Martin |
| 2000 | Brian Martin |
| 1999 | Earl Martin Jr. and Brian Martin |
| 1998 | Ed Quirk |
| 1997 | Ed Quirk |
| 1996 | Richard Jackson |
| 1995 | Richard Jackson |
| 1994 | Gary Anderson |
| 1993 | Gary Anderson |
| 1992 | William D. Warringer |
| 1991 | William D. Warringer |
| 1990 | Richard Jackson |
| 1989 | Richard Jackson |
| 1988 | William Mergendahl |
| 1987 | William Mergendahl |
| 1986 | Ray Brackett |
| 1985 | Ray Brackett |
| 1984 | Joseph Doyle |
| 1983 | Joseph Doyle |
| 1982 | William Mergendahl |
| 1981 | William Mergendahl |
| 1980 | Joseph L. Schaffer, Sr. |
| 1979 | Peter P. Karashay |
| 1978 | James Mergendahl, Jr. |
| 1977 | Robert R. Wade, Sr. |
| 1976 | Donald R. McCaig |
| 1975 | Edward Haines |
| 1974 | Joseph L. Schaffer Sr. |
| 1973 | Edmund B Whitaker |
| 1972 | Ernest R. Dunn |
| 1971 | John G. Kolano |
| 1970 | John J. Wood Sr. |
| 1969 | Carroll Kimble |
| 1968 | George H. Warringer |
| 1967 | Homer Van Voorhis |
| 1966 | August L. Fellows |
| 1965 | LeRoy W. Snyder |
| 1964 | Walter I. Johnson |
| 1963 | Earl J. Martin |
| 1962 | Henry F. Amend |
| 1961 | Robert J. Desmond |
| 1960 | John A. Hill |
| 1959 | Edward P. Sweeney |
| 1958 | John F. Carnright, Jr. |
| 1957 | Donald R. Sullivan |
| 1956 | Edward Buckley |
| 1955 | Vernon Benjamin |
| 1954 | William Meiswinkel |
| 1953 | Russell O'Dea |
| 1952 | William Rightmyer |
| 1951 | Thomas P. Gilmore |
| 1950 | Merlin Synder |
| 1949 | Albert P. Hrdlicka |
| 1948 | George W. Gardner |
| 1947 | Phillip Breithaupt |
| 1946 | Roy Palmer |
| 1945 | E. Leslie Fellows |
| 1944 | Vernon Tymeson and Lester Vandemark |
| 1943 | Peter Hackett |
| 1942 | Cornelius Lynch |
| 1941 | Edward Van Wart |
| 1940 | Edmund U. Burhans |
| 1939 | Raymond J. Mooney |
| 1938 | George Tymeson |
| 1937 | Joseph Sweeney |
| 1936 | John King |
| 1935 | Oscar Ehrler |
| 1934 | Edward M. Flanagan |
| 1933 | William McCormick |
| 1932 | Frank Martin |
| 1931 | Harry Desmond |
| 1930 | Edward King, Jr. |
| 1929 | Arthur Petschke, Jr. |
| 1928 | Frederick Van Voorhis |
| 1927 | Milton Hill |
| 1926 | William Tracy, Sr. |
| 1925 | Lyman Hallenbeck |
| 1924 | Leo McEnroe |
| 1923 | John J. LaVelle |
| 1922 | Josiah Perks |
| 1921 | George B. Ohley |
| 1920 | Chandler DuBois |
| 1919 | Michael Fitzgerald |
| 1918 | John F. Carnright |
| 1917 | Joseph Huber |
| 1916 | Chester Lowe and John F. Carnright |
| 1915 | John C. McCarthy |
| 1914 | Henry Schneider |
| 1913 | Henry T. Keeney |
| 1912 | Frank V. Underhill |
| 1911 | John Weinands |
| 1910 | John B. Adams |
| 1909 | James Reynolds |
| 1908 | Fred Granwohl |
| 1907 | Robert B. Ballman |
| 1906 | Jonas Myer |
| 1905 | William MacMullen |
| 1904 | Ernest Myer |
| 1903 | Thomas J. Bradley and John McCormick |
| 1902 | Lewis H. Kleeeber |
| 1901 | James Teller |
| 1900 | Frank J. Dale |
| 1899 | Martine Cantine |
| 1898 | Ernest Hassinger |
| 1897 | W. V. McCormick |
| 1896 | Wm. V. Burhans |
| 1895 | E. J. Lewis |
| 1894 | Ed. Lynk, Jr. |
| 1893 | R. D. Suderley |
| 1892 | H. A. Ohley |
| 1891 | H. A. Ohley |
| 1890 | L. J. Butzel |
| 1889 | Wm. Ziegler |
| 1888 | B. M. Freligh |
| 1887 | B. M. Freligh |
| 1886 | B. M. Freligh |
| 1885 | B. M. Freligh |
| 1884 | A. J. Myer |
| 1883 | A. J. Myer |
| 1882 | A. J. Myer |
| 1881 | B. M. Freligh |
| 1880 | B. M. Freligh |
| 1879 | A. J. Myer |
| 1878 | Patrick Maxwell |
| 1877 | Louis Yerger |
| 1876 | Jacob L. Williams |
| 1875 | Louis Yerger |
| 1874 | Louis Yerger |
| 1873 | Louis Yerger |
| 1872 | Louis Yerger |
| 1871 | Wm. C. Mitchell |
| 1870 | Alfred Teetsel |
| 1869 | Wm. C. Mitchell |
| 1868 | A. J. Myer |
| 1867 | H. D. Laflin |
| 1866 | H. D. Laflin |
| 1865 | B. M. Freligh |
| 1864 | Isaac Rosepaugh |
| 1863 | H. D. Laflin |
| 1862 | Wm. Hanna |
| 1861 | Wm. R. Shultis |
| 1860 | Joseph R. Boice |
| 1859 | James Maines |
| 1858 | A. J. Myer |
| 1857 | C. W. Baker |
| 1856 | T. J. Barritt |