ABOUT

HISTORY

The Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center started as a dream many years ago when one of the Nassau County fire service academy instructors, Frank Pendl, started to collect fire service memorabilia for the purpose of preserving the tradition of the fire service in Nassau County. He managed to obtain space in the lobby of the Fire Academy to display his collection. This collection grew from extinguishers, helmets and nozzles, to large apparatus. Frank eventually ran out of room. The lobby was getting cramped and losing its aesthetic value. At that time, we all realized we needed a permanent home so all residents from Nassau County could appreciate this collection, not just the firefighters.

At the same time, a Nassau County fire marshal, Andy Stienmuller, who was in charge of public education, also had a dream. His dream was of a public education center where school children and the general public could come and learn about fire safety every day of the year, not just during fire prevention week.

After learning about these two unique individuals, a small group of firefighters, lead by Angelo Catalano,  got together and lobbied the fire service, government officials, corporate sponsors and friends for support which has evolved into what we have now come to know as The Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center. 

COLLECTION

Come see a wide variety of fire apparatus from 1834 to present day.  Our collection includes hand pulled carts, horse drawn steamers, ladder trucks, pumpers and tankers.  The Museum's collection is unique to Nassau County, as all trucks were once used throughout departments in Nassau.  Visitors can even "drive" several of our trucks.  

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Our Mission

"The mission of the Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center is to provide public education, training, and awareness in fire safety, and awareness in burns and injury prevention and to increase public understanding of the heritage and contemporary role of volunteer fire services in Nassau County.

 

People will be stimulated to learn how to protect themselves, their family, their friends, and others from the dangers of fire and accidental injury, and to be responsible for the protection of their own property as well as the property of others. Therefore, the ultimate mission of the Education Center programs is to reduce the number of deaths, the severity of injuries, and the extent of property damage caused by fires and accidental injury in Nassau County.

 

The Firefighters Museum will preserve and interpret the heritage of local volunteer services through collection, restoration, and exhibition of historic and contemporary firematic memorabilia and equipment. The museum, through its exhibition interpretation, will increase public appreciation, awareness, and knowledge of Nassau's contemporary fire services. The museum experience will stimulate public interest and volunteer recruitment in local departments."

Board

From the beginning the Board of the Nassau County Firefighters Museum has volunteered their time and donated their money to help bring to life the goal of having a place to showcase the history of the Nassau County fire service.  

Since the inception of a museum came to life the Board members, past and present, have come from many different walks of life. Company CEOs, historians, community activists, architects, and government officials have toiled alongside active and retired firefighters to move their dream forward.

Today the Board of the Nassau County Firefighters Museum stands tall on the shoulders of those who have come before them but the Board does not stand still. Much work has been done to create the Museum and, even more work has to be done to keep the Museum relevant and to help it prosper and grow.

We are grateful to all those who have been involved with the Museum from our inception through our current Board members.