The Village of Pleasant Valley was incorporated on May 5th, 1814 and not long after the Village trustees set up a fire company. This is verified by a document appointing Jeremiah Clearwater as “a fireman in a company of firemen raised by authority of an act of the Legislature of the State of New York signed and sealed by William Thorn, President of the Pleasant Valley Village Trustees”, dated August 18th, 1826.

Time marched on with no further mention of the Fire Company until 1903 when the John Knott Volunteer Fire Association appears as the agency created to respond to and handle all firefighting and emergency events in the village. Alfred Leith, Foreman, proposed that the Village accept the services of the fire company which the village did, in turn, accept. In 1907, the Village issued a proclamation (which can be found in a frame of Station # 1 Station # 1 meeting room) commending the John Knott organization for its dedication to protecting lives and property in Pleasant Valley and acknowledged them as the Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Company.

It was from this document and the Pleasant Valley Fire Department drew the line to celebrate our 100th anniversary. The Fire Company was incorporated in the State of New York in 1913. That same year the fire company entered into a 5-year lease with “The Hall Company” for monthly meetings and other fire company functions. The lease was agreed upon at $15.00 per year and it included the use of the shed in the rear to house fire company equipment.

Today, the Pleasant Valley Fire Department stands ready to protect the almost 10,000 residents of the fire district as well as those that work and travel through our beautiful town.