2014-2015 Officers Installed During 108th Annual Conference & FIRE 2014 Expo

Chief Donald J. Corkery of the Sayville Fire Department (Suffolk County) was installed as president of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs during the 108th Annual Conference & FIRE 2014 Installation Ceremony on June 14, 2014, at the Turning Stone Resort Showroom in Verona, N.Y. He will serve a one-year term leading the organization.

Corkery began his fire service career with the Wyandanch Fire Company in 1969. He moved to Sayville and joined Resolute Hose Co. #1 of the Sayville Fire Department in 1972. In 1976 Corkery started the progression as a line officer and was elected as a lieutenant and then captain of his company. He was elected assistant chief in 1981 and then became acting chief in 1984. Corkery served as chief of the department from 1985-1987. He also served as president of the Islip Town Fire Chiefs Council and Suffolk County Fire Chiefs Council. In 1982, Corkery was appointed a deputy fire coordinator for Suffolk County and later served as the chief deputy fire coordinator between 1992 and 2005. Additionally, he served as deputy commissioner of Suffolk County Fire/Rescue and Emergency Services in 2005. His salaried career was with the Long Island Rail Road, starting as a "fireman" on a locomotive and then becoming a locomotive engineer. Corkery worked in the training division for 25 years, and retired as the director of training in 2004. In addition to training LIRR employees, his responsibilities included training firefighters from FDNY and Nassau and Suffolk Counties on railroad safety. Corkery was also an instructor for the Suffolk County Fire Academy. Today, he is an active member of his department and serves as a safety officer. Corkery is currently serving his sixth five-year term as a fire commissioner. A member of NYSAFC since 1980, he served on the Public Education, Codes, Life Safety, and Conference Committees for 18 years.

Also during the Installation Ceremony, Chief Daniel J. Schwertfeger of the Floyd Fire Department was sworn in as 1st vice president and Chief Joseph M. Fahd Jr. of the Cohoes Fire Department was sworn in as 2nd vice president. Both will serve one-year terms.

Deputy Coordinator R. Scott Ewing (Clinton County), Chief Robert R. Kloepfer Jr. (Floral Park Fire Department), Chief Julius J. Leone Jr. (Fredonia Fire Department), and Chief Michael J. Volpe (Busti Fire Department) were sworn in as directors. Leone will serve an additional three-year term as a volunteer director. Ewing and Kloepfer will each serve a three-year term as a volunteer director, while Volpe will serve a three-year term as the association's EMS director.

Congratulations to the 2014-2015 officers of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs! Look for more information on all NYSAFC directors and committees on the NYSAFC website later this summer.

Look for a wrap up on the 108th Annual Conference & FIRE 2014 Expo in upcoming issues of The NYSAFC Bugle and SIZE UP magazine. Also, the digital edition of the FIRE 2014 Program Guide is still available, in case you're looking for information on our participating vendors.