52. Owen Walter Magee (1984-1985)
Served 2 Years
Owen Magee was born on November 9, 1938, in Hempstead and is the son of Owen and Doris (Bishop) Magee. He is a graduate of Hicksville Sr. High. Owen graduated Hicksville High School in 1958, and he married Rene on May 12, 1974. Owen was employed by the Village of Hempstead in the Fire Alarm Traffic Signal and Street Lighting Department. He would later become the Superintendent with the Hicksville Fire District, where he retired in 2016. After retirement, he stayed in Hicksville part-time as a Fire Inspector and Pre-Planner. Additionally, he has been serving in the same capacity sharing his expertise with the Levittown Fire District since 2004. Owen was also employed as a Public Fire Safety Education Specialist for Nassau County. Owen and Rene live on Acre Lane in Hicksville.
Owen served in the United States Navy in Patrol Squadron 16 located in Jacksonville, Florida from 1962-1964, and in the Reserves as an Aviation Electrician's Mate.
Owen Magee is a third-generation fire fighter. His father and grandfather served in the Hempstead, N.Y. Fire Department. He was a charter member of Engine Company #7 in 1957 and was given badge 603. Owen served as a member of the Rescue Squad and was elected to the position of Lieutenant and served as captain in 1967 through 1969. He was in the group of the first Department EMTs in 1971. Owen also served as department corresponding secretary in 1968 and 1969. He then went onto serve as 2nd and 1st Lieutenant in Engine Company 7 and was elected to the 11th Captain in 1972 and 1973.
Owen Magee took office as 3rd Assistant Chief in 1978 and rose through the ranks to Chief of Department. Chief Owen W. Magee was elected to the highest office of the Department as the 52nd Chief in January of 1984. His Assistant Chiefs were William Schuckmann (1st), Gerard O’Brien (2nd) and Terrence Farrell (3rd).
In March of 1985, a fire at the General Instrument Co. Plant, at 600 West John St., Hicksville caused damage that originated in a plating machine, used in the maintenance of printed circuit boards. A security guard making his rounds discovered the fire in the P.C. Laboratory and notified the Fire Department. The fire, believed to be electrical in origin, enveloped the machine containing several 74-gallon containers of acids and plating materials. An automatic fire sprinkler activated but did not send out an automatic fire signal to the Fire Department as designed. 25 workers were evacuated as a precaution and the Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Response Team made the area safe and the State Environmental Dept. and Health Department managed the toxic smoke, water, and water runoff.
The Historic Gregory Museum on Heitz Place sustained medium damage early on the morning of June 31st. A fast-moving severe electrical storm moving through the Mid Island area is believed to have been the cause of the fire. Fire officials believe lightning struck power lines and a surge shorted out the main electrical pan and swept upward to the first floor. A neighbor was credited with saving the landmark building by sounding the alarm from a nearby alarm box. None of the valuable displays were harmed and damage was confined to the north wall and interior walls.
Agway Garden Supply Center at 411 West John Street was hit by fire on May 11 th. An employee sharpening a lawn mower blade on a grinder generated sparks which ignited nearby gasoline. Employees attempted to extinguish the fire, but it spread rapidly and when firefighters arrived first 1st due at 4:16 PM, they encountered a large volume of fire and heavy smoke. Firefighters fearing pesticides and fertilizers took precautions to avoid the toxic smoke. The East Meadow Hazmat Team assisted in identifying possible hazardous materials and the operation did not contaminate the local water supply, and the fire was under control at 5:45 PM. Damage was estimated at over quarter million dollars to contents.
Firefighters battled a smoky fire for hours at the DePew Chemical Factory located at Duffy Avenue and Charlotte Avenue on April 5th. While no large quantities of chemicals were involved, the smoke was toxic and self-contained air masks were used all throughout the firefighting efforts. For a time, it was feared some chemicals might cause problems as the fire was believed to have originated in a trash can and spread to the roof.
In February a propane tank slipped out of the hands of its operator at the Wasserman Bag Company located at 70 Commerce Place sparking a blaze that caused $750,000 indamage with 9 mutual aid companies. The forklift operator was changing the bottle when the valve struck the ground, snapping off, creating a spark and the operator suffered burns to his hands and face and was treated at a local hospital.
Thousands of pre-yule shoppers were driven from the Mid-Island Shopping Plaza about noon when spilled sewer- cleaning solvent set off a chemical reaction that sent noxious fumes billowing through the crowded mall and about 100 shops. Upon arrival Chief Magee was informed by workers that the chemical, sodium hydroxide, reacted with other substances in a trash dumpster in the truck tunnel under the mall. The workers applied water, thinking it was a fire. A large reaction resulted in a huge cloud of toxic vapors. Haz Mat team members removed the drum from the dumpster and packed it in a recovery drum. The burning material in the dumpster was covered with Speedy-Dry and then sand provided by the Town of Oyster Bay was put on top. The Nassau County Fire Marshals Office, County Health Department, N.Y.S. Department of Environmental Conservation also on the scene. They made provisions to have the chemical transported to a waste disposal site, all areas affected were cleaned up.
Hicksville firefighters closed out 1984 with a store fire which caused $50,000 damage to store and contents injuring two firefighters. The fire was reported via alarm box by a passerby at 2:49 AM on December 31st. The fire was at Antonio’s Deli at 113 Broadway, Hicksville which is located in the center of the block of stores. Firefighters fearing the heavily involved fire would spread to other stores sounded a second alarm for additional manpower and mounted an aggressive attack. They were able to confine the fire to the deli. The fire is believed to have started in the rear of the store.
As Hurricane Gloria headed our way, the Department mobilized its forces and braced for a very busy day when the first call came in at 7:21 AM. From that time on the phone never stopped. A mini storm center was set up and a call came in reporting downed trees and wires. The most serious being wind-blown propane tanks at a tank farm and a falling tree striking a passing vehicle injuring 3 occupants slightly.
In July of 1985, Chief Magee made possible the first female firefighter, Dawn Rosner to join Engine Company 7.
Chief Magee has been active in all areas of the Department serving on the Labor Day Publicity and Public Relations Committee, the Reserve Engine and Department Training Committees. As Department and Company historian, he was solely responsible for documenting the fire department activities through the 1970’s and 80’s.
During the year of 1990, eleven members of the Fire Prevention and Fire Education Committee, including Ex-Chief Owen Magee had arranged, coordinated, and performed 57 presentations to various groups in the community. Some of these groups included preschool, nursery, kindergarten and elementary grade students, PTA's, Civic Associations, and Senior Citizen groups. Many of these presentations consisted of tours, lectures, and designed programs to meet a particular subject. Through the hard and continuing efforts of these members, Hicksville's residents, young and old, are becoming more aware of the dangers of fire, and learning how to prevent fire and how to survive it.
Ex-Chief Magee was awarded a Unit Citation for his work on Friday August 21, 1998, when the Hicksville Fire Department was called to assist the Jericho fire Department for an overturned gasoline truck on the Long Island Expressway. Upon arrival at the scene, it was unknown how much product was in the tanker since its driver sustained injuries and was transported to the hospital. A Hazardous Material Command post was established, and a review of the load and delivery tickets concluded that the truck was carrying approximately 10,000 gallons of gasoline. Various operations were being conducted which included the stabilization of the truck, monitoring of storm drains, the evacuation of residents and the cutting of six 4" holes into the side of the tanker and offloading its contents into a second truck while foam was being applied. Periodic meetings at the command post, among the various agencies involved, allowed for good communication during this large-scale incident that lasted approximately ten hours and started on a hot and sunny day.
In 2006, Ex-Chief Magee received a Certificate of Merit for his actions at 54 Boulevard Drive House Fire. Ex-Chief Magee assisted Ex-Chief Scanlon who was exiting the fire floor, after he located a victim and pulled him from the room. Upon their arrival, Ex-Chief Owen Magee was directed by his officers to assist Ex-Chief Scanlon in the rescue of the victim. Ex-Chiefs Magee and Scanlon removed the victim to the front lawn and began Basic Life Support procedures on the victim. Upon arrival of EMS, they assisted in the treatment and in the packaging of the patient. The victim, an 83-year-old male, was transported to Nassau University Medical Center in unstable condition with respiratory distress and airway compromise due to obvious burns to the upper airway structures. At the submission of this report several days later, the patient was still alive.
Owen was one of the original founders and charter members of the of the Department's Hazardous Materials Response Team where he is a long-time team member, serving as its Team Leader from 1998 through 2000. He was a member of the department's training committee. Owen has served for many years as the public information officer and was a fire inspector for the department. Owen is also currently serving on the Hazardous Material Committee of the New York State Fire Chiefs Association. He was a member of the of the NFPA, International Association of Fire Chiefs, Nassau County Fire Chiefs Council, 9th Battalion Chiefs Council, and Nassau County Firemen’s Association. Owen was a member of the “Hicks” Drill Team from 1957 through 1959. He achieved his 50 years of active service in 2007 and his 60th Anniversary in 2017. His mentors through the years were Ex-Chiefs Gebhardt, Ofenloch, Saurer, Werthessen, Cotsonas, Davis and Specht.
Aside from Owen's father and grandfather serving with the Hempstead Fire Department, his brother Richard was a Captain of Engine Company 7 and a retired Fire Marshal for Nassau County. Owen’s son Brian was a member of Volunteer Hose Company 4 before becoming a federal firefighter in West Point. Owen’s Brother-In-Law Gerard O'Brien was a Captain of Protection Hook and Ladder Company 1 and ex-chief of the Hicksville Fire Department. His sister Diane O'Brien is a retired Treasurer of the Hicksville Fire District. Owen’s granddaughter, Lauren Chapin now carries on her grandfather’s legacy and joined Engine Company 7 in May of 2024.



