MINEOLA, NY - Mineola Fire Dept. Engine Co. 3 celebrates 100 years of dedicated service to the community. The Engine 3 fire company was formally organized on August 22, 1922, and the original firehouse built by the membership still stands. A brief ceremony and event was held at 12:30p.m. on Saturday, September 24th at Mineola Engine Co. 3 – 166 Elm Place in Mineola, NY.

Before Engine 3’s firehouse was built, the firemen held their meetings in local public buildings or in members’ homes and barns throughout the Village. The only piece of firefighting equipment on the east side of the railroad tracks before then was a hose reel stored in a small building, about the size of a one-car garage. Engine 3’s firehouse was erected by the founding members of the Company in their spare time, and opened in 1923. On March 19, 1983, Engine 3 dedicated its new, larger and modern quarters, next door to the old firehouse. The original structure is still serving the emergency needs of the Village of Mineola as the headquarters for the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Mineola Engine Co. 3 is no stranger to making history in the Mineola Fire Department, aside from a century of service, the company had set the stage for equality and inclusiveness. In March 1937, the Ladies Auxiliary of Company #3 was organized. The Engine 3 Ladies organization was so successful, in 1956, it was expanded to include women in the entire Mineola Fire Department. In September 1988, the first female firefighter joined the ranks of Engine 3, and she was the first in the Mineola Fire Department’s 100-year history.