'I can remember at parades when they would have cans of beer right there on the truck,' said Don Kugler, chairman of the Board of Commissioners for the Greenfield Fire District.
'I'm going back 30 years. You can't do that anymore,' Kugler said.
Today, the Maple Avenue Fire Company is completely dry, as is the district's Middle Grove Company. He said no beer is stored at the other firehouses in Porter Corners and Greenfield Center and drinking, even during social events there, is rare.
The issue came up last week when three Ballston Spa volunteer firefighters resigned from the village fire department for making fake 911 calls and moving the village police car sent to investigate the calls.
The three men -- Dan Jurcsak, Matt Wilski and Charles Travis -- said they'd been drinking after setting up a Halloween party Oct. 17 at the Eagle-Matt Lee firehouse.
Last week, Ballston Spa Fire Chief Dick Duffy said the department would rethink policies allowing alcohol at its two firehouses, Eagle-Matt Lee and Union.
Duffy couldn't be reached for comment this week.
Village Mayor John Romano said Friday the policy hasn't been changed yet, but he plans to meet with Duffy soon and discuss a change.
Kugler said it's not scenarios like Ballston Spa's that worry him. It's something much worse.
'What if one of those boys had gotten in an accident on his way home and killed himself?' he said. 'It's our necks out there.'
Schuylerville Fire Chief Rick Drew said Schuyler Hose Co. has been dry for as long as he can remember.
'There is just no place for it,' Drew said.
He thinks drinking in firehouses is becoming rare.
Corinth Fire Chief Andy Kelley said there is alcohol consumed at the Corinth Firehouse, but only at social events. There is no alcohol at anything fire-related, and firefighters don't even drink at the firehouse after their drills.
He said no one who has consumed alcohol ever has anything to do with responding to a fire or dealing with fire equipment.
Corinth is planning to build a new firehouse on Route 9N in Corinth. That facility may be dry.
'Nobody wants the black eye,' Kelley said.
