GRAHAMSVILLE – At a special meeting on December 11, the members of the Grahamsville Fire Department elected their "Line" Officers and "Company" Officers for 2026. They are:

Line Officers

Chief Mike Kelly

1st Asst. Chief Casey Grey

2nd Asst. Chief Tony Costa

Captain Will Conjura

Lieutenant Andy Garigliano

1st Engineer Douglas Hamilton

2nd Engineer Jarrod Barnum Budd

Company Officers

President Larry Bracken

VP Andy Garigliano

Secretary Don Starner

Treasurer Will Conjura

Trustee Mike Mickelson

At the December 19th membership meeting, after the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, the members stood while fireman Doug Hamilton read the names, ages and fire departments around the country, of the firemen and First Responders who died this past month while performing, or as a result of their firematic or rescue duties. Then, Chief Michael Kelly honored Joseph Pond with a standing ovation for 57 years of dedicated, continuous service as a Grahamsville Fireman. Besides being a rank-and-file fireman, answering the fire siren for building and wildfires in the Catskill Park Preserve, from the Rondout Reservoir (Merriman Dam in Ulster County) up to the Ashokan Reservoir in Olive and assisting on mutual aid calls with the neighboring Neversink Volunteer Fire Department, and Claryville Volunteer Fire Department, up the hill, he also assisted in responding to automobile accidents, and searches for lost hikers and hunters.

Joe Pond has been the Treasurer in the Grahamsvillle Fire Department for as far back as anybody can remember. Unofficially, Joe is a waiter at the annual Neversink/Grahamsville Pancake Breakfast and the cashier at the Fireman's sausage building at the annual Grahamsville Little World Fair.

Each year initially, all Grahamsville Firemen (with help of the Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary) participate in the New York Statewide famous Sausage and Pepper stand. Some cut the onions and peppers (divided into sweet and extra hot pepper spicy), cook the fresh sausages in boiling water pots then split and grill the sausage on the long grill, while those at the booth windows yell out the orders for “hot,” “spicy,” or hamburgers and hot dogs in frantic fashion. Joe calmly sits at the table with the cash box, collecting the money and giving change and deposits the receipts. And, lesser known is the smaller group of firemen and ladies auxiliary that each day at the fair, arrive early in the morning, light up the grill and sell breakfast and coffee to the concessionaires and early rising young folk feeding and taking care of their displays, cows, horses, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits and other exhibits.

This year the Fair Association fixed up and rebuilt parts of the Grahamsville Firemen's Sausage and Pepper booth. The Fair Association also fixed up and rebuilt the Tri-Valley Lions Soda booth, which supplements our Fireman's booth just across the way. Fire Chief Michael Kelly reported that the Grahamsville Fire Department responded to about 95 calls during 2025.

At this year's end meeting, Grahamsville Fire Department President Larry Bracken gave a heartfelt thumbs up to all the firemen and the Ladies Auxiliary for their contributions in 2025. He noted the wildfire this summer around Sundown on the Catskill State Park, in which firefighters from throughout many counties came to assist to fight the fire, “and local people and organizations contributed food and supplies for collection in the Grahamsville Firehouse and then forwarded everything to firematic headquarters set up in Sundown.” He welcomed and thanked all the younger members, particularly from Tri-Valley Central School who took the difficult FEMA firematic preparation courses, as well as the Grahamsville Fireman's tough “in house” firematic, health and fire truck training preparation and hazing for high school students. We are very proud of their enthusiasm.

At the 2025 Sullivan County Fire Department Parade in Monticello, Joe Pond rode in the front jeep, waiving and leading the Grahamsville Firefighters. Next year, the Sullivan County Volunteer People will march through Grahamsville.

Congratulations with our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Joseph Pond, and the members of all the volunteer firefighters, First Aides and Emergency Medical Technicians throughout Sullivan County, New York, and throughout the United States.

Respectfully Submitted,

William A. Brenner, Esq.