COEYMANS HOLLOW — Fire Chief Bill Kapusta has stepped down as chief of the Coeymans Hollow Volunteer Fire Corporation after 15 years of service.
Kapusta joined the department in 1993 as a junior active member at the age of 17. He was very active right from the beginning, and wanted to learn as much as he could.
Kapusta took required and unrequired state training courses while attending drills, meetings and fire calls. He also held a First Responder Certification and ran EMS calls. When he turned 18, he was able to do more active firefighting duties.
In 1998, he was elected first captain and was assigned the duty of training officer, then in 2009 he was elected chief of the department and continued as its chief for the next 15 years. He was responsible for the purchasing of new trucks, replacing the department’s outdated trucks on a 20-year plan.
Most of the trucks were purchased with cash from a dedicated truck fund. With an upfront payment, the fire company was able to save thousands of taxpayer dollars by cutting the cost of the truck. There were no payments or interest fees paid on trucks purchased over the years, according to the Coeymans Hollow Volunteer Fire Corporation.
Kapusta was also part of the Building Committee responsible for building the new firehouse. The committee was made up of members, officers and the Board of Commissioners. This group of volunteers worked together to cut costs and provide the Coeymans Hollow community with a beautiful and functional facility, according to the department.
Over the past 15 years, Chief Kapusta attended hundreds of firematic meetings not only in his home area but also around the state. He was most often first on the scene of fires, motor vehicle accidents, hazardous conditions, EMS calls and any assortment of emergency situation in the fire district, as well as providing mutual aid response for neighboring agencies.
The members of the Coeymans Hollow Volunteer Fire Corporation and the Coeymans Hollow Community said they would like to express their appreciation to Chief Bill Kapusta for his dedicated service to the community and for volunteering his services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Even though Kapusta has stepped down as chief of the department, he has been elected second assistant chief to help mentor new officers in their new positions.
ANNUAL ELECTION
On Tuesday, April 2, members of the Coeymans Hollow Volunteer Fire Corporation held their annual election to select this year’s line officers to lead the organization. Here are the results:
Chief – Daniel Haight
1st Assistant Chief – John Williams
2nd Assistant Chief – Bill Kapusta
1st Captain – Dan Houghtaling
2nd Captain – Pat Christiana jr
1st Lieutenant – Rob Radley
2nd Lieutenant – Sean Mooney
EMS Captain – Davin Krzykowski
EMS Lieutenant – Vacant
Fire Police Captain – Jack Dennis
Fire Police Lieutenant – Darlene Wilson
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President – Darlene Wilson
Vice President – Dan Houghtaling
Recording Secretary – Pam Rafferty
Treasurer – Maryann Dennis
Financial Secretary – Sue Stratta
2 YR Director – Mattie Mortefolio
Sergeant-At-Arms – Jordan Flach
Membership Secretary – Pam Rafferty
