What is General Warren Emergency Company No. 2?

Updated

General Warren Emergency Company No. 2 is a fire company based in Haverstraw, New York, and gwe2.org is its website. The site serves as a historical and informational resource about the company and the broader Haverstraw Fire Department (H.F.D.), covering the origins and evolution of the village's fire companies, their quarters, and community events.

What the site covers

The website is organized around the history and identity of the company rather than operational or membership services. Its main content areas include:

  • The Companies – a historical account of the fire companies of the Village of Haverstraw, tracing their formation and changes from the 1850s onward.
  • The Middle Street Quarters – information about the company's physical home.
  • Community events – for example, a "Merry Christmas Haverstraw 2025" post.
  • Historical background – a piece titled "From Whence He Came: The General," explaining the namesake behind the company.

The historical context it documents

The site's history section traces how Haverstraw's fire service developed. Key milestones recorded on the page include:

Year Development
1854 Rescue Hook and Ladder Company formed; Village of Warren created and the Warren Fire Department established
1854 Warren Engine Company #1 formed; a building at what is now 36 Middle Street was purchased
1857 Union Engine Company #2 formed
1859 Rescue H&L #1 folded into the department, sharing the Division Street firehouse with Union Engine #2
1869 Lady Warren Engine formed (the steamer, donated in 1871, carried #5, hence Lady Warren Engine Company #5)
1876–1878 Mutual Hose Company #1 formed and later disbanded; Triumph Hose Company #2 formed
1884 Triumph Hose #2 moved to Middle Street

This timeline shows the company's lineage within a department that grew out of mid-19th-century volunteer fundraising efforts, when citizens raised money for hook-and-ladder apparatus and pumping engines before the village incorporated and could fund fire protection through taxation.

Who the site is useful for

  • Local historians and researchers looking for a documented account of Haverstraw's fire companies.
  • Residents and community members interested in the company's history, quarters, and local events.
  • Visitors trying to confirm what the organization is and where it is located.

If you need current operational information—such as how to join, emergency contact procedures, or active service details—the historical and community content on this site may not cover it; those questions are best directed to the company or the Village of Haverstraw directly.