Members of Philipstown’s four fire departments are used to answering the call to help people in need, but it usually involves a fire, motor vehicle accident or mountain rescue.

On Nov. 12, the Cold Spring, Continental Village, Garrison and North Highlands volunteer fire companies answered a call to Surprise Lake Camp, but this time it was to meet an acute need of their own — new volunteers.

They gathered for a photo shoot led by Jay Brenner, a retired professional  photographer and member of the Garrison Fire Company. Brenner’s photos will be used by a recruitment organization recently formed by the four companies and appear on its new website, philipstownfire.org.

“We had great individual photos but needed shots of a cross section of firefighters and apparatus from all four fire companies,” Aaron Leonard, president of the Cold Spring Fire Company said, adding that the photo shoot underlined their mutual need for new volunteers.

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Behind The Story

Type: News

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Michael Turton has been a reporter with The Current since its founding, after working in the same capacity at the Putnam County News & Recorder. Turton spent 20 years as community relations supervisor for the Essex Region Conservation Authority in Ontario before his move in 1998 to Philipstown, where he handled similar duties at Glynwood Farm and The Hastings Center. The Cold Spring resident holds degrees in environmental studies from the University of Waterloo, in education from the University of Windsor and in communication arts from St. Clair College.

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Len Getler

Fabulous story about a national treasure like Surprise Lake Camp. Notables like Eddie Cantor, Neil Diamond, Larry King — and me — went there to get away from the city heat.