The Prison Escape, The Firefighters, and Mutual Aid

By Billy Goldfeder

Unless you have been in hiding or working on the Donald Trump Campaign, you are well aware of the Clinton Correctional Facility (New York) “great” escape that took place last week, June 6, when two inmates were discovered missing during a bed check at 0530 hours at the maximum security Clinton Correctional Facility. The inmates both had been convicted of murder. Neither have been found yet and the story will make quite a movie. Hopefully, Hollywood will include the IMPACT this escape has had on one area fire department.

SMALL TOWNS & “THE” FIREHOUSE

If you grew up in a relatively small town, you would definitely remember that the firehouse was the towns focal point, From being the social place to the place where that giant whistle, siren or horn would blow for a fire call-EVERYONE knew where the firehouse was. It was where parades started, boy and girls scouts had meetings, where people would go to vote-and just a really cool place. In our home town on Long Island, on Memorial Day, the 4th of July and others-the Alerts, Vigilants and Manhasset-Lakeville FD’s were the center-and often the leaders-of activities.

SO WHAT?

So what does this have to do with murders escaping from a maximum security prison. Turns out, it has a lot to do with it. Last weekend. the Cadyville Fire Department located in Clinton County was getting ready to hold their annual and very major fund raising event. However, because of the escape-and all the activity, it was cancelled. Not postponed. Cancelled.

PRISONERS AND A “NEEDING” FIRE DEPARTMENT

Last weekend, police dogs had picked up a scent, and potential signs emerged that the two inmates had been sleeping in a heavily wooded area approximately five miles in size. Police swarmed Cadyville, roughly five miles southeast of the Clinton Correctional Facility and set up a perimeter overnight that blocked off Cadyville, pretty much from, the rest of the world.

Because of the manhunt, the logistics and the fact that two convicted murderers were on the lose, the Cadyville FD and their Firefighters had no choice but to cancel their event.

THE EVENT.

This popular field day, parade (read: fundraiser) was Cadyville’s 50th – a milestone event that they had been planning for the last year. This is their single largest fund raiser for the year and they typically make $8,000 each year. For the last week the Cadyville firefighters have provided 24/7 logistical support for the manhunt and operated with a law enforcement roadblock in front of the their firehouse. If this wasn’t enough, several of their members and their families including three chief officers work for, Corrections, and Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement …and have worked 100+ plus hours in the last week searching for the murderers.

Once again, the members of the Cadyville Fire Department focused on what’s best to protect their community-not themselves. However-it takes funding to run a fire department-as we all know.

CAN YOU, YOUR DEPARTMENT, YOUR LOCAL OR YOUR ASSOCIATION PROVIDE SOME MUTUAL AID?
The food is gone, The rides are cancelled and their “world famous” clam chowder won’t be available. More importantly, their funding was cut. Not by some clueless politician, but because of a genuine public safety emergency involving two escaped murderers, one, a cop killer.

So this request is simple, obvious but very real. PLEASE consider sending what you can to help. $5.00, $10.00 or whatever you can send. Whatever you can afford will obviously make a huge difference in helping the Cadyville Firefighters maintain their equipment and service.

Please send whatever you can to help:

Mutual Aid: Cadyville Fire Department
PO Box 97
Cadyville NY 12918

(Make the check out to Cadyville FD)

Hopefully we can help the CFD in this truly unusual circumstance creating dire straits for a local fire department who was simply trying to support themselves.

BILLY GOLDFEDER, EFO, is deputy chief of the Loveland-Symmes (OH) Fire Department. He has been a firefighter since 1973, a company officer since 1979, and a chief officer since 1982. He serves on the International Association of Fire Chiefs board of directors, the September 11th Families Association, and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. He has taught at FDIC for 30-plus years and is a member of the Fire Engineering editorial advisory board and the FDIC executive advisory board.

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