The Kinderhook Fire Association was founded in April 2016 by a small group of concerned residents to promote the need for a fire station in the area, which includes the Kinderhook, Reseau’s Crossing, Note, Twilight Shores, Murder Creek, Burtom, Jones Road, and Rabbit Skip communities, among others.
Those original residents included Bobby Sikes, Gerald and Polly Hull, Ronnie and Freta Goodwin, Fred and Barbara Ward, Keith Cambell, Jennifer Smith, Joy and Jeanette Hart, and Betty Williams, among others.
Since its establishment, KFA has been diligently working to build and outfit a volunteer fire station in the Kinderhook/Reseau’s Crossing area.
Additionally, it initiated a community service project to provide free loaner life jackets at Putnam Beach and the Dennis Station boat ramps. Most recently, KFA donated a fire scene light and backpack firefighting equipment to the Putnam County Fire Department.
To fund its goal of establishing a local fire station, KFA has held several different fundraisers including fish frys, yard sales, steak-and-shrimp dinners, barbeque plate sales, and raffles. Also, twice yearly, it holds a donation-collecting Bucket Brigade at the four-way-stop intersection of Hwy 129 and Hwy 212.
In February 2022, members of the Kinderhook Fire Association elected their board of directors, including President Elliott Perkins, Vice President Teresa Jacobs, Secretary Cendy Sikes, Treasurer Craig Jacobs, and Sergeant at Arms Fred Ward.
Living within five miles of a fire station improves emergency response times to protect life and property. It also enhances the ISO (International Standards Organization) rating on homeowners’ insurance from 10 to 5, and with a lower ISO rating, homeowners’ insurance premiums will drop substantially. Presently, several areas and neighborhoods in Putnam County are not within five miles of a fire station, including Kinderhook.
Anyone who lives, works, or plays in the Kinderhook/ Reseau’s Crossing/Murder Creek area is invited and encouraged to join KFA, which holds 10 a.m. meetings the second Saturday of each month at Kin-or-hook Bar-B-Q at 103 Mockingbird Dr. SW (off Rabbit Skip Road). There is no fee or cost to join beyond a little of your time.
For more information, visit Kinderhook Fire Association’s Facebook Page or call 404-831-2807 or 404-8404995 and leave a message, if necessary.