Massena Fire Department

The Massena Fire Department has been an integral part of the Massena community for over 120 years. The Department is led by Chief Patrick O’Brien, Assistant Chief Thomas Miller, Assistant Chief Corey Debien, and Career Staff Foreman Aaron Hardy. These officers along with three Captains and three lieutenants lead a combination career/volunteer fire department of 50 volunteer firefighters and 9 career firefighters/fire drivers. The Massena fire station is located at 34 Andrews Street and is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by career firefighters.

Volunteer firefighters complete nearly 150 hours of outreach training provided by the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control to be initially qualified. Career firefighters are all graduates of the New York State Academy of Fire Science. The volunteer firefighters of the department comprise the Massena Fire Department, Incorporated, a 501c3 not-for-profit. The career staff is represented by the Massena Permanent Firefighters, Local #2220, an affiliate member of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).

Career firefighters also perform Code Enforcement in the Village and Town of Massena. This allows both the Town and Village to have a professional yet cost-saving approach to Code Enforcement. The career staff provides Code Enforcement Officers and Building Safety Inspectors, Monday through Friday 8 am - 4:30 pm.

The Massena Fire Department achieved an ISO rating(PPC) of 4. The only other department in St. Lawrence County to receive this high a rating was Ogdensburg Fire. Only 12% of fire departments in the United States have a higher class rating than Massena Fire. The ISO rates municipalities on a scale of 1 to 10. An ISO Class 10 rating is considered the least effective fire defense while an ISO class 1 rating is the most effective fire defense system. Most of the largest U.S. insurers use these ratings as part of their decision-making when deciding what coverage to offer, and what prices to charge for personal and commercial property insurance. According to the ISO the price of fire insurance in a community with a good Public Protection Classification(PPC) grade is substantially lower than in a community with a poor PPC grade”.

The Massena Fire Department provides fire and emergency protection to approximately 12,900 citizens in both the Town and Village of Massena. Massena Fire also provides mutual aid to surrounding communities. The Massena Fire Departments protection area consists of approximately 68 square miles, 7,500 housing units, as well as 14 Churches, the St. Lawrence Center Mall, the Harte Haven shopping center, and other local businesses, Massena Arena, and other civic complexes. The Massena Fire Department is also responsible for protecting critical infrastructure located within the protection area. This infrastructure includes:

• Three major rivers, The St. Lawrence River, The Raquette River, and the Grasse River.
  
• The St. Lawrence Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project, The Robert Moses-Robert H. Saunders Power Dam, The Long Sault Dam, miles of high voltage power lines, The Frank S. McCullough Jr. Hawkins Point Visitors Center and Boat Launch, Robert Moses State Park, Nicandri Nature Center, and various outlying administration, storage, and maintenance buildings owned and operated by the New York Power Authority.
  
• The St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation controls 8 miles of international shipping lanes on the St. Lawrence River. They also control the Dwight D. Eisenhower Lock, and the Bertrand H. Snell Lock, as well as various administration, storage, and maintenance facilities.
  
• The Seaway International Bridge connects Massena to Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. The Seaway International Bridge port of entry is one of the busiest ports of entry on the northern border of the United States. The area around the Seaway International Bridge also houses various storage, administration, and maintenance buildings belonging to the United States Border Patrol, and the United States Department of Homeland Security.
• Massena Intake Dam, provides water to the Village and Town of Massena. The Massena Intake Dam holds back the St. Lawrence River from flooding the Village of Massena and parts of the township.
• Massena International Airport serves private and commercial flights daily.
  
• Six major New York State Highways (37, 37B, 37C, 56, 131, and 420), as well as numerous St. Lawrence County roads and bridges.
• Massena Terminal Railroad and miles of CSX rail lines that ship local, domestic, and international freight products.
• Industrial manufacturing businesses Alcoa, Arconic, Curran Renewable Energy, and the Massena Industrial Park.
• Large occupancy buildings such as Massena Memorial Hospital, Highland Nursing Home, St. Regis Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, Laurel & Grasmere Terrace, The Quality Inn and Super 8 Motel.
  
• Seven schools including five from the Massena Central School District which include: Massena Central High School, J.W. Leary Junior High, Madison Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, and Nightengale Elementary. We also protect Trinity Catholic School, and The Holy Name of Jesus Academy.