Burnt Hills Fire Department

As we (happily) say goodbye to 2020, and welcome 2021, we remain optimistic about the upcoming year. New Year’s Eve can be a busy time for First Responders. We ask that you keep the following in mind: If you plan on drinking alcohol please be responsible and DO NOT DRINK and DRIVE. It is not just about your safety it’s about everybody’s safety who are traveling the same roads you are. Vehicle accidents due to intoxicated drivers are highest between 8 pm and 2 am; tr...y to avoid being on the road during that time. We want everyone to stay safe and follow the CDC’s guidelines regarding the spread of COVID-19. Make sure your celebration is a safe and an enjoyable event. The Burnt Hills Fire Department would like to wish you and your families a safe and healthy 2021!!! See more

Freezing rain is coming down. Roads are starting to get slick. Drive safe!!

Merry Christmas from our BHFD family to yours! Hope today is an magical day.

The Burnt Hills Volunteer Fire Department will be conducting an Santa Parade on December 19, 2020 throughout the Fire District. The parade will include Santa who will be waving from the truck , and in the interest of maintaining all precautions for our residents we will not be stopping. We ask that all of our residents come out to wave and if you cannot come out, please flash your porch lights as a symbol of our community spirit and commitment to one another during these challenging times. The parade will start at the south end of town at 3pm December 19th and will work it’s way to the north end. We look forward to sharing this time with you and hope you’ll join us!

It's the night before Christmas, and all through station All was quiet except for our snoring dalmatian. Our boots had been placed by the bunk sides with care In hopes that the shift change would finally be here. The lights were turned down and the TV was off... The rigs had been washed and the floors had been mopped. Firemen and Medics lie nestled in a bed While visions of home life danced through their heads. Titan HST, the Future of Safety advertisement When out of the darkness, arose ringing and light The Klaxton brought tidings of something not right. The Firemen and Medics were dressed in an instant Aboard their trucks and racing into the distance. The moon on the breast of the newly fallen snow Reflected the lights in a hellish, red glow. The sirens, they wailed while the federal screamed Moving too slowly, as if in a dream. The wreckage was there and came slowly in sight Lending fear, pain, and loss of our silent night. Each of us thought of our own Wife, Daughter or Son Each prayed in silence, Let me save at least one. We leaped to the task without further a thought And for more than two hours we worked and we fought To free the two drivers who hadn’t been thinking their driving would suffer after a full night of drinking. The smoke of the flares, and the stench of the blood The screaming of metal as we rolled back the hood. The cry of one driver, the whine of the Jaws Putting fear aside, we never gave pause. With one driver out, and the other pronounced dead We focused our efforts on keeping our heads. C-spine and backboard and IV in place We loaded him up and we started the race. The monitor showed a heart rate to slow BP revealed a systolic too low. Level of consciousness rapidly dying Despite all of thisthe Medics kept trying. Atropine, Dopamine, Epi and more to keep our reason for being from opening death’s door. We fought and we prayed and tried all that was known While trying to believe fault wasn’t our own. The sun, she was rising as we reached the ER We’d given all that we know and all that we are. The Doctors pronounced with barely more than a glance. And gone in a blink, was the patient’s last chance. The ride back to the station

It is with great sadness that the members of the Burnt Hills Fire Department announce the passing of member Alan Colyer. Al was a member with over 60 years of service in the department and currently served as the company treasurer. He was a courageous and a kindhearted person, who enjoyed helping others and working on the apple farm. Please keep Alan’s family and the members of our department in your thoughts and prayers.Rest in peace Al, we will take it from here.

Holiday Safety Tip reminders: The importance of keeping a natural tree properly hydrated since trees can rapidly dry out, increasing the risk of fire. Always keep the tree stand secure and filled with water. Do not place tree near a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. Do not put a live tree up too early or leave it up too long. Remember to always have working smoke alarms.

With rain expected this evening, we will see some minor flooding across the area. If you’re out on the roads please do not drive through flooded roadways. Turn around. Take it slow as your vehicle can hydroplane. Be safe everyone. Merry Christmas. #Saratoga

Route 50 has opened back up.

Heavy rain and warm temperatures will melt quite a bit of the snow pack Thursday through Christmas morning. Strong winds will also speed up the snow melt. The... warmest temperatures in the 50s, maybe even near 60 in some places, and the heaviest rain will be during the night. Rainfall of 1.5 to 3+ inches of rain in addition to the snow melt will cause flooding in some areas. There is an elevated flood threat, especially along area rivers, and where ice and snow may be blocking or redirecting rain and snow melt runoff. Please be ready to move to higher ground if flood and flash flood warnings are issued. See more

*Update: As of 9:25pm Route 50 is open to traffic* Please be advised Route 50 is shut down from Outlet Rd to Middleline Road. We will update when the road opens.

This week’s Firefighter spotlight is firefighter Kenneth. Ken has been with us at BHFD for 4 months, he has been a firefighter with a previous department for 20 years. Ken wanted to become a firefighter because when he was a young boy he used to chase the fire trucks down the street, and always wanted to drive one. A fun fact about Ken is that he worked at the H.B. Reese Candy Factory in Hershey PA, making Reese’s and Kit-Kat’s.