New Rochelle Veteran Firefighter Curtis Taylor Is Pelham Village Fire Chief

By Amanda Kaufmann

The Village of Pelham’s new fire chief, Curtis Taylor, has more than 25 years experience as a career firefighter in New Rochelle and is looking forward to his tenure in Pelham.

“It’s an honor to be asked to be chief,” he said in an interview. “I look forward to the challenge.” The Pelham fire chief’s duties are administrative (budget, hiring) as well as managerial. Chief Taylor is required to work 19 hours a week and to be on call 24 hours a day for all smoke, fire, and major emergencies calls.

Chief Taylor has been a career firefighter in New Rochelle for the past 25 years, retiring in May as a captain, acting deputy chief, and company commander of Station 3 in the heart of New Rochelle’s downtown. Originally from New Rochelle, he graduated from Blackburn University in Illinois before returning east to join the force. He became a New York State Code Enforcement Officer in 1996 (meaning he has the authority to write tickets for violations of the standards set by the state) and a New York State Fire Investigator in 1998. In 2006, Chief Taylor received his Associate’s Degree in Fire Protection Technology from Corning Community College in Corning, NY...

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Contact Information

Fire Department:  (914) 738-2601 or E-Mail info@pelhamgov.com
Emergencies Only:  (914) 738-2600 or DIAL 911

About...

The Fire Department provides emergency fire, rescue and hazardous condition stabilization services for the Village residents and businesses.

The protection of life and property is accomplished by creating and maintaining safety in the community, reducing the hazard or risk of fire through fire prevention strategies, plans, inspections, identifying problem areas and providing related services.

The Fire Department’s Divisions are as follows:

• Fire Administration

• Fire Suppression

• Fire Training

Administration provides for the overall management of the department, equipment procurement, fire safety inspections, fire prevention activities and record keeping. 

Suppression operates two engines, one ladder truck, and an EMS/Rescue vehicle and responds to emergency calls for service.  Most career firefighters are certified EMT-D, who provide first-responder basic life support for all types of medical emergencies.  In 2006, the Board of Trustees authorized the promotion of 3 Career Firefighters to the rank of Lieutenant.  The Fire Department is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with 3 on-duty career Firefighters and/or Lieutenants, most of whom are EMT certified.  The Career Staff is supplemented by 35 volunteer firefighters who are certified for interior firefighting.

Training serves to ensure the career and volunteer firefighters are cognizant of current New York State and Federal Standards of performance, and to maintain the necessary skills to meet those criteria.  The average response time for the Fire Department responding to an emergency is approximately 3.5 minutes.  This excellent response time, along with other factors, has helped the Village of Pelham Fire Department keep our community’s losses to a minimum, and our insurance rating level to an excellent standard.

Fire Chief Curtis Taylor heads the Pelham Fire Department.                                                

Lieutenants: Julian Keiser, James DiNapoli, Kevin Brennan, Chris McCann

The PFD is a combination paid and volunteer department. There are three companies of volunteer firefighters, which have served since the Village’s inception. The Village is always looking for new volunteers willing to serve in protecting the lives and property of the Pelham community.

In addition, the department includes the following Career Firefighters:

© 2004 Village of Pelham. All rights reserved