Ravena Village Board thanks local firefighters who deployed to Jennings Creek wildfire

Ravena Village Board members on Dec. 3 publicly thanked six members of the Ravena Hose Company who volunteered to assist with the Jennings Creek wildfire in Orange County.

Sandy asked the board to recognize the team and named the members who deployed: Chief Kevin Phillips; Captain Mike Maddock; Lieutenant Jack Morrow; Lieutenant Devin Knight; Firefighter Connor Weidman; and Firefighter Mike Anderson. Sandy told the board the group left on Wednesday the 13th and returned Friday the 15th, a roughly three-day deployment.

Chief Kevin Phillips described the crew’s work in Orange County. “We assisted with fire breaks, fire suppression, creating a controlled burn,” he said. Phillips said crews worked 12-hour shifts, removed brush from properties to reduce risk to homes, and operated in steep, rocky terrain. He praised the host agency in Orange County and said his members found the experience challenging but professionally managed.

Board members noted the deployment took a substantial portion of department leadership — “four of them were officers,” Sandy said — and thanked the members who remained in Ravena for handling local calls while the deployment team was downstate. The village report later noted the department handled about six calls during the three-day period and recorded 26 calls in the most recent reporting period and a year-to-date total of 201 calls.

The board’s recognition was ceremonial; no formal action or funding decision was taken. The meeting continued with routine departmental reports and village business.