Lieutenant Michael Scotto, Fire Department City of New York (FDNY), will present “Searching – The Offensive and Defensive” at 19 sites across New York state from January through November 2024. Three-hour programs will be held in Albany, Clinton, Cortland, Erie, Fulton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Monroe, Nassau, Oneida, Orange, Otsego, Rensselaer, Rockland, St. Lawrence, Schenectady, Steuben, Westchester, and Wyoming Counties. Registration is $35 (NYSAFC Individual and Department Members) and $50 (non-members) per person. Sign up in advance or at the door. New for 2024 – online group registration is available for fire departments!

Join NYSAFC and the New York State Office of Fire Prevention & Control at the Fire & Life Safety Educators’ Training Series! Due to infrastructure updates that will be taking place at the New York State Academy of Fire Science, in lieu of the annual Fire & Life Safety Educators' Conference, three regional one-day conferences will be held in 2024. Mark your calendar for the programs in Albany (April 27), Erie (May 4), and Onondaga (May 10) Counties. Student registration will be opening soon. Proposals for presentations are being accepted through December 8, 2023.

Ambulance service providers are thankful after Governor Kathy Hochul signed the “Direct Pay Bill” into law. The bill will force health insurance plans to reimburse ambulance providers transporting out-of-network patients.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer signed legislation that only allows graded batteries for electric mobility devices to be sold in the county. It also requires every electric mobility device seller to post a safety notice.

EMT Frederick Whiteside, a 22-year veteran of the FDNY, was working at a 911 dispatch center on November 17 when he had a fatal heart attack.

Monsignor John Delendick was remembered as a “spiritual constant and staple” in the FDNY during his 28 years of service.

EMTs from the Ravena Rescue Squad respond to nearly 1,300 emergency calls every year. The one they responded to at 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning is a call they won’t soon forget.

Members of the Rome Fire Department completed NYSAFC Flashover Hands-On Training in October.

The FDNY says fire departments worldwide are experiencing an increase in fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries.

St. Thomas Aquinas College announced a new partnership to provide tuition scholarships to those who serve with a local first responder agency. STAC students who are members of the Sparkill Palisades Fire Department will get a 50% discount on tuition.

Family and friends said New York Firefighter Billy Moon had the biggest heart. His widow, two young children, and parents got to hear that heart again in the chest of the man who received it.

Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketmaster. They will also be available at the door throughout the event for $25 per person, per day (includes expo and seminars). The 2024 expo will be hosted by NYSAFC and Islip Town Fire/EMS Museum Educational Center at Nassau Coliseum from February 2-4. Registration will be opening soon for a new Hands-On Training course – Forcible Entry – and the seminar schedule will be announced in December!

Registration is open for six Regional Hands-On Training programs scheduled for 2024. "Beyond the Basics" will be held in Erie and Herkimer Counties, "Fire Behavior On the Inside" is coming to Clinton and Erie Counties, and "Flashover" is scheduled for Broome and Monroe Counties. New locations are added to the training calendar throughout the year. Agencies can use the Host Request Forms to schedule a course locally. Training is scheduled on weekends based on the availability of NYSAFC's mobile training units and instructors.

Join NYSAFC from June 12-15, 2024, at The Oncenter in Syracuse! Attendee and exhibitor registration will be opening in December. The Hands-On Training program has been revamped for next year. 10 courses will be delivered from June 12-14 at the Syracuse Fire Department Training Center. Session length has been adjusted for many programs to reduce student downtime and provide more opportunities to attend classes and the expo.

Chief Tom LaBelle (Prince William County [VA] Fire & Rescue), Chief Tony Perez (Pasco County [FL] Fire Rescue), and Lieutenant Hector Lopez, Deputy Chief Tom May, and Captain Ed Tracey (Rochester Fire Department) will be presenting at COLT 2024 in Erie (March 8-9), Fulton (January 12-13), and Monroe (February 16-17) Counties. New – online group registration is available for fire departments!

Eric McMahon said goodbye after 34 years with the department.

The Common Council overwhelmingly approved of renaming the Central Fire Station in Utica after Retired Fire Chief Russell Brooks.

Michael Arquette was honored for his work in treating victims of the shooting at the Tops supermarket in Buffalo in 2022.

Working as a first responder, you never know what your day might bring. That was the exact scenario Lockport Police and Fire Departments faced in June 2023, when a tour boat overturned.

Police Officer Kevin Colomba is also a captain with the Warwick Fire Department.

View the NYSAFC calendar of events.