Erich ‘Mickey’ Lachmann was born on September 26‚ 1932‚ in Bellerose‚ Long Island‚ New York. Mickey graduated from Sewanhaka High School and Muhlenberg College and became the youngest member of the Bellerose Village Volunteer Fire Department. After two years in the Army‚ including a 15-month tour of duty in Germany‚ where he married his wife‚ Christa-Luise‚ he moved to Orange County‚ New York. In 1961‚ he joined the Excelsior Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 of the Middletown Fire Department‚ going up the line to captain. Later‚ he was appointed deputy fire coordinator in charge of radio communications for Orange County Mutual Aid. He also joined Washington Heights Fire Department near his business and became deputy chief.

From 1979 to 1991‚ Mickey served as fire coordinator of Orange County Mutual Aid (OCMA)‚ establishing the OCMA Hazardous Materials Team‚ the OCMA Arson Investigators Task Force‚ and was a member of the committee which built the Orange County Fire Training Center. After retiring‚ Mickey continued to be an active volunteer with the WHFD. In 2007‚ Mickey suffered a massive stroke after driving the WHFD Truck 168 to a fire call.

His legacy lives on. Both of Mickey’s sons joined the WHFD at 18. Son Erich is also a volunteer with the Excelsior Hook & Ladder No. 1 of the Middletown Fire Department‚ a New York State and National Fire Instructor‚ and is the oldest firefighter to graduate from the NYS Fire Academy in Montour Falls RFFT 2007-2. Son-in-law‚ Kevin Hunt‚ is a firefighter and EMT with the Briarcliff Manor Volunteer Fire Department (BMVFD). Grandson Lars Hunt became a junior firefighter with the BMVFD and passed the NYS Firefighter I course at age 16. Mickey’s daughter‚ Elisabeth‚ is a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician in New York City.