Service and Community Celebrated at Andes Fire Department Banquet

Service and Community Celebrated at Andes Fire Department Banquet

by Robert Brune

At the Andes Hotel on Saturday night, May 3, the Andes Fire Department gathered for its annual banquet to celebrate the dedication of its volunteers and emergency responders while reflecting on both the strengths and challenges facing rural fire departments.

The evening honored several members for their years of service and commitment to the community. Dennis Joyce received the Fireman of the Year award, while Dave Johnson was recognized as EMS Squad Provider of the Year. Dave Ruff received a 45-year service pin, Vicky Bush was honored with a 20-year pin, and Ritchie Gabriel received a 5-year pin. Andes Fire Chief Dale Pait also expressed gratitude to Derek Curl for his continued support of the department and its events throughout the year.

While the banquet carried a celebratory tone, Pait spoke candidly about the realities facing volunteer fire departments and EMS squads throughout the Catskills region. “Well, we’re all short,” Pait said regarding staffing levels. “Right now, our EMS squad, we’re only running with six people.” He explained that when local crews are unable to fully respond, county ambulances or advanced life support units must be called in. Unlike the Andes Fire Department’s EMS service, those outside services can result in charges to residents or their insurance providers. “As an EMS squad by the fire department, we don’t charge for our services,” he said. “Whatever fire call we answer is no charge to the constituent.”

Pait noted that the department currently has 24 firefighters on its roster, though only four are interior certified firefighters able to enter burning structures. “The rest are support or exterior certified personnel,” Pait explained. “They can’t go inside and fight the fire.” Despite those limitations, he emphasized that every volunteer serves an important role within the department. Pait outlined the process for becoming a firefighter in Andes, encouraging interested residents to stop by the fire hall or speak directly with members of the department. “We’re teaching everything we can to get him ready to go whichever way he wants to go,” he said of new recruits entering the organization.

The chief also highlighted the dedication of longtime members such as John Andrews, a 48-year firefighter who continues serving the department after decades of commitment. “He does everything we need him to do,” Pait said. “He’s a pump operator, truck driver, exterior firefighter, the whole works.”

Beyond emergency response, the Andes Fire Department remains deeply connected to community life through fundraisers and public events. Pait confirmed that the popular summer square dance at the pavilion will return on July 11 and will once again be open to the public. The department also has several pancake breakfasts planned, including Memorial Day weekend on May 24 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the fire hall. “You can stop in and say goodwill donation,” Pait said. “For pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, coffee, orange juice, and you can sit down here in a fire hall and enjoy and talk with everybody.” The following day firefighters will participate in the annual Memorial Day parade through Andes alongside veterans and neighboring departments.

Pait acknowledged that recruitment remains one of the department’s greatest challenges due to the changing demographics of rural communities. “There is nothing that holds a lot of people in Andes other than us old folks that like it here,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of people moving into Andes to take up the firefighting profession.” Still, he stressed that neighboring departments consistently support one another during major emergencies through mutual aid agreements with surrounding towns including Margaretville, Beaverkill Valley, Delhi, and Downsville. “It’s great how everybody pulls together,” Pait said.

Throughout the evening at the Andes Hotel, that spirit of service and cooperation remained at the center of the gathering. The annual banquet served not only as a celebration of years of dedication and achievement, but also as a reminder of the volunteers who continue protecting rural communities across Delaware County.