New York Fire Service Supports the NFFF

NYSAFC hosted two events during the 110th Annual Conference & FIRE 2016 Expo at Turning Stone on June 17 to benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

The Cookin’ in the House: Chili Challenge firefighter cook-off raised over $1,160 for the foundation. Only three teams faced off in the competition, but a large crowd of attendees and exhibitors turned out to sample the delicious chili during the fourth annual cook-off. Competition was fierce and this year, the Chautauqua & Monroe Counties Hospitality Room team was named the FIRE 2016 Chili Challenge Champion for best overall chili! The team also took home the Best Station Display award. West Sand Lake Fire Company earned the People's Choice Chili award and Highland Hose Company was honored with the Most Creative Chili award.

An additional $2,300 was raised by chef and NYSAFC Instructor Everett Erichsen of Highland Hose, which he collected through donations from members of his community. Erichsen challenged next year’s competitors to join him in raising additional funds locally for the foundation. $570 that was collected through a boot drive during the cook-off was donated to the Poland Fire Department, which recently suffered damage from a fire at its station. A team from Poland had been scheduled to participate in the cook-off.

NYSAFC Hands-On Training Coordinator Paul Melfi and Instructor Tony Zaccaro (FDNY) joined acclaimed fire house chef and NYSAFC Instructor Robert Painter (FDNY) in judging the entries.

NYSAFC salutes all of these passionate fire house chefs for sharing their unique chili recipes with attendees to benefit the NFFF. Special thanks to RBC Wealth Management for sponsoring beverages at the event.

The association also hosted the second annual NYSAFC 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb on on June 17 in conjunction with FIRE 2016. 62 climbers took part in the event that raised $4,000 in proceeds to benefit the NFFF and FDNY Counseling Unit.

Participants climbed the Turning Stone Resort tower hotel stairwell multiple times for a total of 110 stories, representing the number of floors in the Twin Towers, in honor of the 343 firefighters lost in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. Each climber wore an ID card with the photo and name of a firefighter lost on September 11 as a means of remembrance.

NYSAFC thanks the Career Fire Chiefs of New York State, which donated T-shirts, and Wegmans Supermarkets of Rochester, which donated water for the event. Special thanks to Past Director Tom Cain, who recently retired from the NYSAFC board of directors, for guiding the NYSAFC Stair Climb to success. Thank you to all participants and donors for supporting the NYSAFC Stair Climb and for ensuring that we never forget those firefighters who gave their lives in the line of duty.

Additionally, the 10th Annual Rochester National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Golf Tournament was held on June 5-6, 2016, at the Deerfield Country Club in Brockport, NY. 336 golfers participated in the outing, along with over 100 volunteers. The tournament raised over $25,000 for the foundation. The Rochester NFFF Golf Tournament continues to be the largest of the 25 golf tournaments held in the United States each year. Please mark your calendar for the 11th annual tournament, which will be held June 4-5, 2017.

Thank you to everyone who turned out to support these events and our nation’s fallen firefighters! Check out more photos from the FIRE 2016 events on NYSAFC’s Flickr photostream.