Carle Place , like the rest of modern-day central Nassau County , existed initially as a fragment of the Hempstead Plains. The prairie was viewed as largely worthless by the English settlers of 1644. One of those settlers was Capt. Thomas Carle, who purchased land in the area in 1656. He and his neighbors turned cattle and sheep loose on the plains to graze and thought little else of it. Not until 100 years later did farmers realize the land could be cultivated. One of Carle's descendants, Silas Carle, had become a successful pharmaceuticals merchant in New York City . Some time after 1800, he returned to Long Island to build a showy house on 220 acres for his family. This house still stands today and can be found at the end of Carle Road , on the North side of Jericho Turnpike. Indeed, it became a local landmark, referred to by residents as “Carle’s Place”, a name that eventually came to be applied to the community that developed around it, replacing the name Frog Hollow.

In July of 1910, a group of eleven men met for the purpose of organizing a fire company. The membership grew very rapidly and these early members played a big part in the development of the company. These members with horses and a wagon, moved a farm building from the estate of H. Treadwell in Old Westbury to the northeast corner of what is now Westbury and Rushmore Avenues.

A Wagon, built by A. Christ of Westbury to carry water buckets and ladders was the first piece of fire apparatus. This wagon was drawn by the horses of the first farmer to answer the alarm. The first alarm use to summon the volunteers was unique in its own right. The alarm consisted of a piece of steel salvaged from the rail road. When this piece of steel was stuck with a hammer, it sent vibrant tones throughout the community.

Although the Long Island Rail Road ran right through Carle Place since the 1830s, it wasn't until 1923 that the hamlet warranted a station. Indeed, it had gained a post office only in 1916, making the name Carle Place official.

In June of 1916, steps were taken to change the name of the company from Mineola Park to the Carle Place Hook, Ladder & Hose Company #1.

In 1920, Mrs. R. Bacon of Old Westbury in appreciation for fighting a fire on her estate (now Bacon Road ) gave a used motor truck to the Department and it replaced the horse drawn wagon.

Eventually the homemade alarm gave way to a bell, the very same bell which is now the focal point of our Department Memorial on the west side of our firehouse. This bell is sounded every Memorial Day in memory of our departed members.

In 1923, work was started for a new and larger building. For a long time this firehouse was the center of community life. Its was used for dinner dances, election polling and even for draft registration for World War 1 and 2.

In 1924 the first siren was put into use replacing the bell. For years to come the sole operation of this siren was dependant on one person. Mrs. L. Wickey took all the fire calls and activated the siren night and day.

In 1939 the Carle Place Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary was organized. These ladies would help the men by serving coffee and food to the men that put out fires during poor weather conditions. The ladies were also very active in department fundraising activities.

In 1946, developer William J. Levitt bought 19 acres for an experiment. His crews brought precut lumber to the site and rapidly assembled 600 low-cost houses. The population swelled by five times in five years. It transformed Carle Place , and served as the prototype for the gargantuan development Levitt began the following year a few miles away: Levittown . Before long, the last potato farms in Carle Place were developed as well.

In 1952 the department relocated to 460 Broadway where it is today. Due to rapid growth of the department this building was expanded in 1965 and again in 1978.

In 1973 a new level of rescue personnel emerged, the Emergency Medical Technician ( EMT ). This training consisted of over 90 hours medical training. The Carle Place Fire Departments first EMT ’s were George Oswald and Jack Webber. These men were to be followed by a long history of men and women to help make our EMS program what it is today.

In 1976 the Carle Place Civic Association received a letter from Joseph Dunne, a resident, suggesting that Carle Place was in need of a rescue vehicle. After a overwhelming response, in February of 1977 the Civic Association started a fund drive for a new ambulance. By May of 1977 the community had raised over $20,000 to make the purchase.

By 1982 the frequency of rescue calls and auto accidents made it necessary to purchase a rescue truck to back up the ambulance. Since portions of the Northern State Parkway , Meadowbrook, Glen Cove Road and Old County Road ran through our district, the Jaws of Life became a vital piece of equipment in the early 1980’s.

Over the next 10 years the department made many upgrades to its fleet of apparatus. In 1987 the department purchased Tower Ladder 914, a 95 foot Grumman Aerial. In 1991 the department purchased 2 R.D. Murray Class A pumpers, and in 1997 purchase heavy rescue unit 916.

Today, the Carle Place Fire Department responds to over 800 calls a year. To keep up with this increasing demand, the department is currently upgrading once again. In 2005 we have purchased two new thermal imaging cameras and pagers for our members. We are upgrading our computer system to improve accountability and information available at the scene of any incident. We are also in the process of designing a new rescue pumper which we hope to have in service August of 2006 and plan to renovate or headquarters in the near future.

The members of the CPFD take great pride in the service that they provide to the community in which they live and will be celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2010.