Fort Drum fire station dedicated to fallen firefighter

FORT DRUM — The post dedicated its newest fire station Tuesday to a firefighter who died last year during a silo fire.

The Garrett W. Loomis Fire Station 2 near the Route 26 gate now houses equipment, the fire prevention office and the Fort Drum Fire Department training division.

A plaque with the words “Firefighter, Patriot, Volunteer” will hang on the exterior, and a photo of Mr. Loomis and his gear is on display near the entrance.

Mr. Loomis was a firefighter at Fort Drum and volunteered as the Sackets Harbor Fire Department’s assistant chief. He responded to an April 11, 2010, silo fire at North Harbor Dairy on County Route 75, Sackets Harbor, and was climbing a ladder on the side of the burning silo when the silo exploded, killing him.

“His legacy is to make sure firefighters stay safe, to learn from that tragedy that occurred on that day,” said Fort Drum Fire Chief Peter M. Queior. “We won’t let that go away.”

The installation has three fire stations, including one at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield.

The former Fire Station 2 was at the old World War II barracks area and was inadequate for housing the department’s equipment and personnel, according to retired Fire Chief Robert E. Kerr.

“Justification is important in building a new fire station,” Mr. Kerr said.

The $6.7 million facility will make it easier for the fire prevention office and training division to collaborate.

At the new station, firefighters have drive-through bays so they don’t have to back up the vehicles. The facility also has an exhaust extraction system for cleaner air, and a separate building serves as a storage facility.

“The very fact that we are standing here is proof that dreams can come true,” Mr. Kerr said.