NYSAFC Mourns the Loss of Association Past President Frank Stefanelli

Retired Chief Frank P. Stefanelli of the City of Jamestown Fire Department passed away on June 4, 2021. A Life Member of NYSAFC, he served as president from 1986-1987.

Stefanelli was employed by the City of Jamestown Fire Department from 1960-1980 and rose to the rank of fire chief, serving from 1970-1980. He also worked for 10 years as the civil defense director for the city of Jamestown. Stefanelli was a certified state fire instructor from 1968-1975 assigned to Chautauqua County. Following his retirement as chief, Stefanelli was appointed deputy state fire administrator, serving with the Office of Fire Prevention and Control from 1989-1995.

Stefanelli earned an associate's degree in fire science from Erie Community College and was proudly one of the first graduates of the program. He later worked as a part-time instructor in the fire science program of Jamestown Community College.

In 2017, in recognition of Stefanelli's commitment to teaching and training firefighters, Chautauqua County Emergency Services dedicated the “Chief Frank P. Stefanelli Live Fire Training Building” at the Taylor Fire Training Center in his honor.

Stefanelli joined NYSAFC in 1972 and was a member of the association's board of directors from 1975-1987. He also served on the former Career Chiefs and Nominating Committees and remained active with NYSAFC in recent years, regularly attending the association's Annual Conference & FIRE Expo. Stefanelli was also a past member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and National Fire Protection Association.

He was a veteran of the United States Navy, serving from 1945-1949.

Our condolences to the Stefanelli family, the members of the Jamestown Fire Department, and the Chautauqua County fire service.

A full obituary is available here. The Post-Journal published a profile on Frank in 2016, which can be read here.