Engine 1 was the original company organized for the Long Beach Volunteer Fire Department. Multiple hose reels were placed throughout the village. When an alarm would come in, members would respond to the shack containing a hose reel and pull it by horse or car, to where the alarm was. After the construction of the original City Hall, Engine Company 1 was located there until the firehouse on Maple Blvd was erected in 1955. Engine Company 1 moved there and has operated out of this firehouse ever since.

Engine 2, then known as Chemical Engine Company #1, was first organized in 1920 under the incorporation of the Long Beach West Volunteer Fire Department. The west end was part of the village of Lawrence at the time. The Long Beach West firehouse was located on the corner of Alabama Ave and Beech St.  When the Village of Long Beach became a city, they bought the west end from Lawrence and the original Long Beach Volunteer Fire Department was labeled Company 1 and the Long Beach West Fire Department was labeled Company 2. Hence the change of name to Engine Company 2. Engine Company 2 continued to operate out of the Alabama St firehouse until the early 1940's when it eventually moved to the Indiana Firehouse, Station 2. Engine Company 2 has operated out of Station 2 ever since.

Please visit the IAFF Local 287 Website here: www.iaff287.org

Engine Company 4 was organized in 1965 and was derived from the original Hose Company 1. Prior to arrival of the new 1965 Mack C-125 engine, the company had changed its name. The 1965 Mack was a state of the art firefighting apparatus for the time. Some of the features include a removable/portable deck gun to allow master water streams to be applied where situations required large volumes of water to be delivered remotely. The engine had 2- 100 ft booster reels tucked away in each beaver tail. It had a 1250 gpm pump, a built in 250 gpm foam eduction system with a 50 gallon foam reservoir.  The pump had a third stage specifically for foam operation. In 1978 the company elected the first African American Captain in the department, Charles Hassell. Charlie also had the distinction of being one of the first African American company captains on Long Island. Over the years the company and its members always maintained high standards of training in specialized tactics including, Haz-Mat, foam and drafting operations. In 1988, the company took on a new specialty. It became the first engine company in the department to be outfitted with large diameter hose, 5” as its referred to. This would allow Engine 4 to either bring in water to a fire scene from 1500 ft away or supply water inline over a half mile away. In March of 1993 the company participated in what was called the “Storm of the Century”. Deployed to standby in West Atlantic Beach to protect this district, the company responded to numerous calls including the evacuation of 2 condo complexes that were precariously  put into danger due to the extremely high tide. The company also assisted in recuing a village pay-loader that had become stuck in the sand from being damaged by the rising tide. The company received a special letter of accommodation from the Mayor of Atlantic Beach for the efforts. On September 11, 2001, the company was assigned to a mutual aid call to the FDNY in support of the efforts that took place on that day. The engine responded to the muster point and stood by for assignment for over 12 hours. The company still in present day trains with the FDNY as part of their mutual aid response operation. In 2014 the company took delivery of on a new Ferraro engine. This is the present piece of equipment in use by the company. It has drafting capabilities, 2 deck guns and a 1500 gpm pump. History for the company would repeat itself once again in 2017. The company had the honor of putting up Hadrick Ray for the election to the newly created 3^rd assistant chief of department position.  Hadrick won the department wide election making him the first African American Chief in fire department history. Today the company pursues operation excellence by training continuously on new tactics and refresher training on older ones. By maintaining this vigilance the company is always on call ready to be dispatch to any situation that is presented to us.

Hook and Ladder Company 2 of the Long Beach Fire Department was originally stationed at the West End Firehouse, today known as Station Two (Indiana Ave.). Upon the delivery of the 1965 American LaFrance Snorkel, the 1953 American LaFrance mid-ship mounted 100-foot aerial ladder was relocated to Fire Headquarters, and a Uniformed Force chauffeur was assigned to drive the truck to alarms. Thus, members of Hook and Ladder Company 2 manned trucks from both Station Two and from Fire Headquarters. In 1968, the company was divided into two separate companies. Snorkel Company was created, and remained at Station Two. It was then that Hook and Ladder Company 2, under the leadership of Captain Jerome LaMagna, who had served as Chief of Department from 1966 through 1968, began its first year of operating solely from Headquarters. In 1976, the Department purchased a Maxim rear-mounted 100-foot aerial ladder. The lime green colored truck was placed into service for Hook and Ladder 2, and the 1953 American LaFrance was relocated to Station 1, where it replaced Hook and Ladder Company 1's 1947 American LaFrance 100-foot aerial ladder. In 1990, the company took delivery of a Pierce 105 foot ladder tower and operated it for 19 years. The Pierce was replaced in 2008 with a Ferrara 105 foot ladder tower. It is the longer of the Department's two ladders. It is also the longest ladder on the barrier island; hence, the company slogan, "Longest Reach on the Beach."

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The first piece of apparatus used by the Floodlight Company was a 1961 GMC salvage and floodlight truck which was dedicated on June 11, 1961. Michael Orzano was the first Captain of the company, up until 1966 when Levi Schneiderman took over the position. Captain Schneiderman helped with the purchasing of a new floodlight truck which was a 1966 Mack CF. The Mack was in service for well over 20 years up until 1986 when a new Ford Rescue System –RSI truck was purchased and designed by the Company, under Captain Michael Stiglitz. The new Ford was dedicated on April 26, 1987 to lifelong member of the Department and Company Ex. Captain Arthur Donnely. In 1989 the Floodlight Company was assigned a Ford Command Post which was a retrofitted van, previously the old 2319 (used for EMS response) which became Command Post 234 under Ex Captain John Fraser. In 2005 a 1996 PL Custom Ambulance was retrofitted to replace the Ford Van under Ex Captain Michael Ornauer. In 2014 present Captain Ralph Horowitz received the present 2007 PL Custom Command Post. The current company is in the process of designing a brand new vehicle which will replace both the Command Post and the Floodlight trucks.

Rescue Company 1 was formally created in 1931 and provided rescue services and limited medical assistance to the City of Long Beach.  Although EMS wasn’t an established service yet, medical assistance was provided by career firefighters and transportation by Long Beach Hospital ambulances. The Rescue company assisted with medical responses as needed and could transport in their Rescue truck. In the early 1980’s, the Department received a surplus ambulance from the Nassau County Police and after painting and lettering, it was placed in service as the first LBFD ambulance.  It was assigned to a new created Ambulance Company, responding from fire HQ.  Members obtained advanced life support training and upgraded the level of service provided. 1985 saw the City purchasing a new modular advanced life support ambulance, the first new one purchased.  In the late 1980’s, the department merged the Ambulance company and Rescue company 1 to streamline and create a more efficient operation.  The new Rescue Company 1 operated the 1985 ambulance and a 1974 Ford/Gerstenslager Rescue truck with extrication tools and other firefighting and rescue equipment. During 1991, Once again Nassau County provided a surplus County Police ambulance, increasing our EMS fleet to two.  1993 saw the career firefighters transition from EMS first response to a transporting ambulance, consolidating all EMS services under the Fire Department. 1994 saw the city purchasing a new state of the art rescue truck for the Rescue Company, which was dedicated to the memory of Dr Maurice Kershner, a local physician who was the medical director for the Fire Department.  A new ambulance was purchased in 2002 replacing the 1985 and in 2005, an additional ambulance was purchased replacing the surplus county ambulance. A 2012 ambulance replaced the primary Rescue ambulance, and it remains in service today.  The members of the Rescue Company today provide Basic and Advanced Life Support and perform standby’s for local events as requested, including boardwalk and street runs, fireworks displays and the polar bear plunge.