Here is a letter that was submitted by the Chief of Department and endorsed by all of the current Active Chiefs and Ex-Chiefs. These Chiefs, including the longest living Chief are asking for you to support our volunteers and the safety needs of our members and the community.

As current Chief of the Bedford Fire Department, I am ultimately responsible for our members. These volunteers give their time and effort to assist our community when needed, often sacrificing personal time and commitments.

A chief’s role is to ensure the volunteers are safe, healthy, properly trained and prepared for any emergency. Unfortunately, we have not been able to provide that for many years in our current facility. While we pride ourselves on exemplary service and response times, the inefficiencies of the current building limit our effectiveness to the community. It is time for a new facility to be built to protect the safety and health of your volunteers. These are your friends, neighbors and family members and we need to take care of them, so they can take care of you.

Every chief learns from the chiefs before and uses that knowledge and experience to move the department forward. I am fortunate to follow in the footsteps of a great group of volunteers that have become chief of this department; some are different generations of the same family and some knew no one in the fire department before they joined. We have the common bond of wanting to volunteer, and to serve as chief of this department.

I am proud to list my name among other living ex-chiefs representing over 400 years of combined volunteer service and 37 years of combined chief leadership who support the new firehouse project. Together we ask the public to come and vote “YES” on Tuesday April 30th (6am to 9pm) for the new firehouse bond.


Andrew Klein, Current, 2002-2004

Shawn Carmody, 2017-2018

Peter Lazaro, 2015-2016

Peter Aquilino, 2013-2014

Jason Siemers, 2011-2012

Matthew Halpin, 2001-2002, 2007-2008

Aric Bittker, 2005-2006

Paul Aquilino, 1995-1996

John Barry, 1987-1988

Joseph Iantorno, 1973-1974

Andrew D. Klein
Chief of Department
Bedford Fire Department

38 Village Green
Bedford, New York 10506