Company Profile: Twin District

chief@twindistrict.com

president@twindistrict.com

4999 William Street 

Lancaster, New York 14086

716-681-3118

twindistrict.com

The Twin District Volunteer Fire Company began in the early 1940's when several men in the area reacted to the unsatisfactory performance of the South End Fire Company on Aurora Street. The South End Company had not been answering calls, and neighbors of the William and Aurora Streets community took steps to form their own company. Among the first members were Arthur Peters, Lester Moore, Albert Snyder, John Olsen, Joseph Hoerner, Norman Pfeil, Jerome Radamacher, Emery Cardinal, Walter Samulski and Norman Petri. These are the names of the original incorporation papers.
At their first official meeting, at the District Seven Schoolhouse on October 21, 1942, the members were warned that the Lancaster South End Fire Company would take action against the company for interfering. "If they wish to continue they will encounter trouble," was the warning sent to the founders. Despite this threat the members voted to carry out their plans.
The Lancaster Town Board did not get involved in the dispute, as it had no grounds for dissolving South End, or preventing the formation of Twin District. Nor was a merge feasible, as neither party desired that solutions.
The men continued to meet and discuss the future of their new fire hall. The meetings were held in Norm Petri's service station, on the corner of William and Aurora streets. The members voted for incorporation in 1942, and made arrangements with the Town of Lancaster to begin a fire company that would protect the area between Bowen road on the east, Transit road on the west, Hall road on the south and Como Park boulevard on the north. In that same year the first officers were elected, an account was opened at the Citizen's National Bank of Lancaster, and the members retained legal advisement. Listed in the minutes of the first meeting are the original officers: A. Radamacher, President; E. Cardinal, Vice President; W. Samulski and A. Gajewski, Secretaries; N. Petri, Treasurer.
The next main concern of the firemen was to secure land and build a firehouse. Three sites were considered. all of them located on William Street. Mr. Norm Petri, a Twin District fireman, offered to lease a portion of his land, Mr. John Jerge, also a fireman, proposed to donate one acre to the fire company, and Mr. Bippert offered the largest piece of land, but the terms of obtaining said land were unknown. Southeast Lancaster was farmland, and ost residents struggled to main tain a minimum standard of living. For obvious economical reasons, Mr. Jerge's generous donation was accepted.

Twin District sits at the southwest portion of the Town of Lancaster, New York. It's borders stretch roughly from Transit Road on the west, the Town of Elma on the south, Bowen Road on the east, and the Villages of Depew and Lancaster to the north. They service approximately 20,000 people within the 5.42 square miles of their district. The district continues to expand as businesses grow along Transit Road .  

Twin District has 60 active firefighters that responded to 870 runs last year. The department is mutual aid partners with almost 30 departments and they're the primary FAST for Alden, the southern part of Cheektowaga, Depew, East Aurora and Elma.  

In addition to their FAST Twin District is also big into Special Operations. They currently have an Ice Rescue team, Firefighter Rehab team and an Active Shooter Hostile Event Response (ASHER) team.