Chief Neil McNeight, a beloved 60-year member of NYSAFC who led the association as president from 1991-1992, passed away on December 7, 2019. McNeight was a past chief of the Fredonia Fire Department and a member of the D.R. Barker Hose Co. #1 since 1955. He also served as Chautauqua County fire coordinator/emergency manager for many years.

NYSAFC has introduced a new Regional Hands-On Training program available for fire departments and county organizations to host locally – Fire Behavior on the Inside. The training, also delivered during the Annual Conference & FIRE Expo in Syracuse, allows students to witness changes in fire behavior while common fireground actions are performed. The 8-hour training includes a brief classroom orientation, followed by live fire hands-on training evolutions. Programs are now being scheduled for 2020. Course details and a Host Registration Form that outlines host agency responsibilities are available online.

Registration is now open for the Eastern Division International Association of Fire Chiefs (EDIAFC) 93rd Annual Conference, which will be hosted by NYSAFC from May 15-16, 2020, at the Latham Fire Department in Albany County.

Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that mandates that all New York schools - public or private - undergo regular fire inspections and use qualified inspectors to perform them.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation allowing police officers and firefighters to carry EpiPens to treat people with severe reactions in an emergency.

The city’s Department of Buildings will begin enforcing a commercial sprinkler law passed in 2004 requiring all New York City landlords to install the fire prevention equipment.

West Stockholm Fire Chief Robert White, also a St. Lawrence County deputy fire coordinator and NYSAFC member, died after collapsing at the scene of a house fire on December 5, 2019.

Firefighter Michael A. Cardinale Sr. of the East Farmingdale Fire Company (Suffolk County) responded to a vehicle crash on December 18, 2019, and was later found unresponsive at the fire station.

The Fairview Fire District appointed two soon-to-be laid off firefighters from the City of Newburgh Fire Department, the department announced in a post on Facebook.

The city of Lockport went to State Supreme Court earlier this month to appeal a state arbitrator's ruling that the city must hire more firefighters.

The opening of the facility marked the first fire house built in the city since 1980.

There's still time to pre-register for the 2-day COLT program, featuring lectures by Michael Ciampo, Michael Lombardo, and Robert Pressler! COLT will be held in Fulton (January 10-11), Monroe (February 28-29), and Erie (March 13-14) Counties. Students can also pre-register for the 2020 Seminar Series "Hoarder House Fires: Our Worst Nightmare" with Tim Klett, which will be held at 16 sites across New York state from January through October. On-site registration will also be available for both programs.

February 28, 2020, is the deadline to submit applications and nomination forms for NYSAFC's 2020 scholarship and award program. Full eligibility criteria and forms are available online. Awards include the Fire Educator of the Year, Public Education, and Career and Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year.

 View the NYSAFC calendar of events.