52 years of dedication and commitment to the Hartsdale Fire Department was a reason to celebrate at the monthly meeting of the Hartsdale Fire District Board of Commissioners as the Department paid tribute to Rene Dupre for his many years of service.

HFD Chief Ray Maseda presented Dupre with a framed certificate commemorating his service to the HFD. Joining in the celebration to honor Dupre were his family, friends, current and former members of the department.

Rising to the rank of Captain in the volunteer department, Dupre joined HFD in 1974. During that time, Dupre was a fixture at fire and other emergency scenes, assisting members of the HFD protect and help the residents of Hartsdale.

His work with the department went far beyond assisting at fire scenes. Dupre was a regular part of Memorial Day ceremonies. He was also committed to preserving the history of the department which included refurbishing an old deck gun and bell that is now on permanent display at Station 2.

Dupre’s community service started long before joining the Hartsdale Fire Department. In 1963 he enlisted in the US Army where he was assigned to the 42nd Rainbow Division, 102nd Combat Engineering unit. He was honorably discharged in 1969 as a staff sergeant.

After leaving the army, Dupre went to work for the Millar Elevator Service Company for 42 years. He used his experience in the elevator service industry to help educate firefighters how to handle elevator emergencies. He regularly taught classes on this topic.

The Ceremony took place at HFD Station 2 in Hartsdale, NY December 10, 2025. Photos by Alan Zale