Fort Johnson Volunteer Fire Company
The Fort Johnson Volunteer Fire Company was a volunteer fire department that provided fire protection and emergency medical services to Fort Johnson and Amsterdam New York. The fire department disbanded at the end of 2025, with fire protection and emergency medical services now provided by the Tribes Hill and Hagaman fire departments respectively.
History
FJVFC was founded in 1935, and manages two stations.In 1995, a fire erupted in the home of one of the department's volunteers. David Grandy, a lieutenant of the fire company, his wife Stephanie Grandy, also an active firefighter at the department, and their three children, were killed in the fire. A monument was dedicated to the Grandy family behind station 2 in Amsterdam.
In 2009, the fire company petitioned for a bill to allow non-resident members of their company, sponsored by Senator Hugh Farley. The bill passed in July 2009, making the FJVFC the 24th fire department in the state of NY to receive such an exemption.
In 2011, Chief Alden Miller found child pornography on the company computer, which he turned into the State Police. A volunteer at the company, Randolph Billington, was arrested for allegedly downloading the material. Billington was subsequently also charged with felony child sex abuse.
In 2025, the Town of Amsterdam canceled its fire protection district contract with the Fort Johnson Fire Department, with the cancellation taking effect on December 31. Subsequently, the Fort Johnson Volunteer Fire Company disbanded on that day, ending its ninety-year history. Fire protection and emergency medical services were taken over by the Tribes Hill Fire Department and the Hagaman Fire Department, both also located in the Town of Amsterdam.