09/19/2026
It was a busy week for 4924 members at Latham and Shaker Road, highlighting the training, readiness, and teamwork required to serve our communities every day.
Thursday morning, on-duty Latham crews began the day with company-level training. The staffed engine and truck companies stretched and advanced handlines, established a water supply, threw ground ladders, and placed an aerial ladder to the roof—practicing the same fundamental skills that would be put to work only hours later.
Around noon, members from both Latham and Shaker Road responded mutual aid to the Fuller Road Fire District for a second-alarm fire in a multi-family residential mid-rise.
Members on Truck 9 responded on the first-alarm truck company assignment. Upon arrival, the crew immediately went to work removing six residents from a second-floor balcony on the fire floor before continuing search and rescue operations on the upper floors.
Latham members responded on the second-alarm rescue company assignment with Rescue 4 and conducted search and rescue operations on the third, fourth, and sixth floors, along with ventilation operations on the fifth floor.
The fire was contained to a single apartment, but smoke conditions affected multiple floors and approximately 40–60 residents from 20 apartments were displaced. Six patients were transported to area hospitals. Our partners at Colonie EMS, along with mutual-aid EMS agencies, provided exceptional care throughout the incident.
After returning from the fire, our members placed their apparatus back in service and continued answering fire and medical calls throughout the remainder of the shift.
The work continued Friday when Engine 415 responded mutual aid to the Verdoy Fire District for a hazardous materials incident. Engine 415’s crew supported HazMat technicians by conducting decontamination operations, while additional on-duty personnel remained available and responded to other calls for service.
These incidents demonstrated the strength of the combination fire service. Staffed apparatus responded with supplemental volunteers, while additional volunteer personnel responded with additional apparatus to support operations.
Thursday’s apartment fire also demonstrated the importance of having firefighters already in the station, trained, equipped, and ready to respond. The incident occurred during daytime hours when many of the initial and additional alarm companies had in-house paid staffing available, allowing crews to respond rapidly and immediately begin fire suppression, rescue, search, and ventilation operations.
That same immediate staffing is just as important overnight, when volunteer availability and response times can differ significantly from daytime hours.
We’re proud of the work performed by our members and all of the firefighters, EMS providers, dispatchers, and mutual-aid partners who worked together throughout a very busy few days.
Colonie EMS Department, Fuller Road Volunteer Fire Department, Colonie Fire Company, Latham Fire Department, Menands Fire Department, Midway Fire Department, Shaker Road-Loudonville Fire Department, Stanford Heights Fire Department, Verdoy Volunteer Fire Department, West Albany Fire Department, Town of Colonie Emergency Services
