The year is 1973. There is no   fire department  in the Town of   Cortlandville. The Homer and McGraw Fire Departments are providing fire protection, under financial contract with the Town of Cortlandville. On September 20^th, 1973  at 02:10  in the   morning a fire call went out in the Town of Cortlandville. A single  family   residence a 4 Glenwood Avenue, off Tompkins Street, had  caught  fire  with  initial  reports  of  a   mother, father and their children still inside. The village of Homer Fire Department was dispatched to the fire, and they responded  from their station  on Main  Street  in  Homer. Approximately six minutes later units started  arriving  on  the  scene from the Homer Fire Department. Reports from the fire scene were that there were four residents inside still alive but unable to exit due to fire conditions. The residence  had  been  renovated,  and  the   traditional  windows on the house had been replaced with basement  casement windows. The firefighters  were unable to gain entry. The City of Cortland Fire Department was then called to assist. Firefighters on the scene were hampered by low  water  pressure  from an  insufficient hydrant system and the  lack of an    immediate  response. A tanker  shuttle  system  was  used  to  finally extinguish the fire. Four people died that day in the fire.

Frank   Taylor   saw   immediate  need   for  change. Frank   Taylor  was  the  Town  of Cortlandville Town Supervisor from 1966-1974  and  he was  also  the  Chairman of the County Legislature from 1972-1973. Using his considerable political influence, and in a very short time, he persuaded the Homer Fire Department, led by Chief Charles Crosley, to  agree  to  move  two  pieces  of  apparatus,  a pumper and a tanker, into the Town of Cortlandville.   As  Town Supervisor, he  had  the  Town  commit  to  housing  the   fire apparatus. A building under construction adjacent to Town Hall, intended for use by the water department was used by the Homer Fire Department to house the apparatus. Hose Company #4  of  the  Homer   Fire Department was formed, but without a formal name. Training of the members of Hose Company #4 started in October of 1973 and continued through December. Members of Hose Company #4 came from existing companies of the Cortland and Homer Fire Departments along with untrained, inexperienced residents of the Town of Cortlandville. On January 1, 1974  Hose  Company  #4 of the Homer Fire Department opened its doors for operation, from the building on Terrace road.  Of great significance  here   is the  cooperation  of   the Homer Fire Department and the Town of Cortlandville. The Town was a fire protection district and not a fire district, therefore the Town of Cortlandville could not own or operate fire equipment.

Within  a  few  months  of Hose Company #4’s  initial  operation,    Frank  Taylor  died unexpectedly.      Although  he  was  never  a member  of  a Fire Department,   he    was instrumental in the creation of fire service to the Town of Cortlandville. The members of Hose Company #4 felt the need and the duty to formally adopt the name of the “ Frank K. Taylor Hose Company #4 of the Homer Fire Department”.

The Frank K. Taylor Hose Company of the    Homer Fire Department stayed in existence until midnight on December31, 1981, when the Company resigned from the Homer Fire Department. On January 1, 1982 the Cortlandville Fire Department began operation, and “the rest, they say, is history. The  by-laws  of  the  Cortlandville  Fire  Department    still contain an introduction and opening statement about Frank Taylor, for without his efforts the Cortlandville Fire Department would not exist today