by Rachel Hunter
Gouverneur Fire Department Chief Engineer Thomas Haynes gave his first reports to the Town of Gouverneur Council and the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees this month.
Thomas Haynes, a Village of Gouverneur resident, is employed with the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC) as Director of Engineering. He has 10 years of experience in the Gouverneur Fire Department, serving in several officer roles before being elected Chief Engineer in April 2025. Faithful readers of the Gouverneur Tribune Press will recall that Thomas Conklin of Gouverneur served as Chief Engineer for 11 years before stepping down in 2025.
GFD Chief Haynes reported the call stats. For 2025 year-to-date, the department has responded to 172 alarms, 79 (66 percent) were in the Village. At the same time last year, the department responded to 170 alarms, but only 67 (40 percent) were in the Village. “There’s been a little bit of an uptick for the balance of calls,” GFD Chief Haynes said during the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees meeting last Tuesday.
The Gouverneur Fire Department has three new members. Two members are returning after handling family obligations. “It’s great to see,” Chief Haynes said. “They already have all the training. We are showing them the things that have changed since they left, now that they have stepped right back in.”
GFD Chief Haynes also reported: “Pool water season has begun. I want to thank (Department of Public Works Superintendent TJ Simmons). The fill-up standpipe that we use downstairs along with Richville was failing. And the DPW got that replaced just in time for the busy season. So, thank you.”
The Gouverneur Fire Department has also participated in several community events: Memorial Day Parade, Flag Day Parade, St. James School event, Gouverneur Elementary PTO Fun Day.
GFD Chief Haynes also promoted the 2025 Gouverneur Fire Department Fireworks Spectacular, scheduled for July 3, dusk. The Gouverneur Fairgrounds will open at 5 p.m. Donations will be taken at the gates in support of the Gouverneur Fire Department. More details will be reported as they are made available to the Gouverneur Tribune Press. “We hope to see everybody there,” GFD Chief Haynes said.
GFD Chief Haynes also reported on several challenges that the department is seeing. “Number one is the increased cost of equipment, and lead times to get the equipment. Number two, there’s an OSHA regulation that is up for review. They always add some new training requirements or stricter regulations. The State did come out with some funding. When firefighters join, they go and take the initial class. They do receive a stipend from the State. We’ve had a few members receive that. It is a step in the right direction. It will definitely be something to watch for the future.
“And then, the other thing we are seeing… Last year we had 486 calls. Our numbers continue just to tick up. There’s a lot of what we call service calls. If something occurs and they don’t know how to address it, they just call 9-1-1 if something smells weird or if a smoke alarm goes off… We’ll say: “It needs to be replaced.” And they say: “Are you going to do that?” And I say, “Sorry, no, you need to go down to the store and get a new one.” It is a lot of those types of calls. People don’t know what to do, so they call 9-1-1. We show up, make sure it’s safe, but then we turn it back over to them.
“Another kind of hindrance… because most of them are false alarms… but there have been a few incidents, is crash detections on phones. People drop them, and that will set it off. Or just the other day, I found one that had fallen out of a car and was in a roadway. There are a bunch of them that we go to and search the area, and then there’s nothing to find. It just takes time away from people. We have found some of them where it did go off, and we could locate the vehicle. So yeah, we take every one of them serious.”
Words of congratulations were extended to Chief Haynes on his election.
Village Trustee Troy Besaw requested that Chief Haynes provide a quarterly report to the municipal boards.
Village Trustee Floyd McAdam asked about the fire department’s membership. “I believe we have 35 members on the rolls,” Chief Haynes said. “Max capacity is 60. We are always looking for members. If you are looking to give back, we’ll give you as much as you are willing to give.” It was also noted the Gouverneur Fire Department has an Explorer Program for teens interested in getting involved in the firefighting services. Contact the Fire Department at its non-emergency number for more information, 315-287-1537.