History

The Varna Volunteer Fire Company is located within the Town of Dryden in Tompkins County, New York. Our fire protection district is approximately 20 square miles, which includes the Hamlet of Varna, Ellis Hollow, and parts of the Hamlet of Etna.

After the Varna Community Center was destroyed by fire in the spring of 1953, it was decided that the area needed its own fire department. A group of citizens, led by Carl James, formed the Varna Volunteer Fire Company that same year. The first piece of apparatus was a GLF gasoline truck converted into a fire fighting vehicle by the membership and put into service in July of 1954, approximately one year after the first organizational meeting.

The original fire department quarters were located in the West end of the new Varna Community Association building in the photo below. This building had been built by Community Association and Fire Company members during the year following the fire. It only had room for two trucks.The first real fire truck was purchased in 1956, a Blitz Buggy that lasted the company for 20 years. In 1962, the original tank truck was replaced by a new Ward LaFrance tanker/pumper.In 1967, it was decided that additional space was needed for the growing department. Land was purchased from the Varna Community Association, and the department's previous quarters were built on the East end of the Community Association building. These new quarters had room for four trucks, and more equipment.

In 1978, Varna began formation of a Rescue Squad to serve the growing population of the district. In 1981, a Saulsbury Ford Rescue Truck was put into service.

In more recent years, the Varna Volunteer Fire Company purchased an almost level four acre piece of land and constructed a new station, with over twice as much room as our previous station. Our 1972 Ford Saulsbury tanker was replaced by a Freightliner FL-80/4 Guys tanker pumper. To supplement our growing EMS requirements, a Freightliner FL-70/Emergency One heavy rescue was also placed into service.

The Varna Volunteer Fire Company currently has eight apparatus: an engine (1901), a tanker (1921), a brush fire truck (1941), a light rescue vehicle (1942), a heavy rescue truck (1943), a heavy utility truck (1944), a training vehicle (1949), and a command vehicle (1969).

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