District

Our History

The archives of Town of Glenville records indicate Resolution #83 was moved and seconded and passed at a regular Town Board meeting held on August 3, 1954, that Fire District #8 (aka Glenville Hill Fire District No. 8) be approved as set forth in an order of the State Comptroller granting the application of the Town Board of the Town of Glenville permission to establish said Fire District #8. Fire District No. 8 was previously established by residents in and about 1953 and today’s volunteers continue to proudly serve the residents of our rural community.  The first meeting of the Fire District No. 8 was held at an old schoolhouse located on Washout Road near Vernon Rd on September 29, 1953.  That same building still stands today and is presently used as a small storage garage.  Today’s firehouse building located at the corner of Church and Ridge Roads was constructed the following year and opened in 1954-55.  The approximate 11 square mile Glenville Hill area is much older than the fire department that serves it and is located in the north-west part of Schenectady County, New York.  The existing firehouse has served the community well for many years.  Our existing building has space limitations that is compromising the safety of our volunteers.  It no longer meets modern building code to provide essential safety needs for our volunteers.  In 2020-21, the five member Board of Fire Commissioners began the task of thoroughly identifying the building code deficiencies and how to fiscally address what is required to provide a safe working environment for our volunteers.

The Glenville Hill Fire Department/Company is the firematic and social entity that provides emergency services to the residents of the Glenville Hill Fire District.  In addition to providing fire protection and emergency medical services, the Fire Department also takes a proactive approach to fire prevention.  Glenville Hill Volunteer Firefighters and EMT’s are dedicated to the welfare of our community.  GHFD8 prides itself with members who exemplify a high degree of both physical and mental aptitude while responding to emergency situations.  The fire department has evolved from a handful of country neighbors banning together to serve their small rural hamlet, to a highly trained group of volunteers responding to the emergency needs of an expanding rural community.  A lot has changed in the nearly 70 years since inception, but the goals of the volunteer fire service have remained the same; to selflessly serve and protect the people and property of our community.  Not only are our volunteer members hard working, thick-skinned characters, but they are also compassionate, levelheaded members of our community who help their neighbors in times of tragedy.  No single individual volunteer member exhibits every trait of a good Firefighter/EMT, however each have a burning desire to help their community and improve themselves.

District 8 Commissioners and Staff

William Benosky
Chairperson
Benosky@GHFD8.org 

Armand Canestraro
Vice-Chairperson
Canestraro@GHFD8.org

Dirk Francois
Commissioner
Francois@GHFD8.org

Laura Fay
Commissioner
Fay@GHFD8.ORG

Open Commissioners Position**
**District 8 residents who may be interested in this open Commissioners position should contact the Board of Fire Commissioners with a letter of interest and obtain more information on volunteering.

Betsy Moss
District Secretary
Secretary@GHFD8.org 

Matthew Dolen
District Treasurer
Treasurer@GHFD8.org 

Craig Myers
Fire Chief
Chief@GHFD8.org 

Rick Manocchi
Assistant Fire Chief
Assistant.Chief@GHFD8.org