The BUGLE - March 2023

Association News

Registration Is Open for NYSAFC Codes Training

Codes Training will be held on June 14 & 15, 2023, in conjunction with the NYSAFC 117th Annual Conference & FIRE 2023 Expo at The Oncenter in Syracuse. Students can earn in-service codes hours by completing training on one or both days.

Visit https://www.nysfirechiefs.com/fire2023codes to view the full article online.

FIRE 2023 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb Announced

The NYSAFC Stair Climb will be held on June 16 at JMA Wireless Dome in conjunction with the 117th Annual Conference & FIRE 2023 Expo in Syracuse. The climb to honor the 343 firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11th will benefit the FDNY Counseling Services Unit and National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Visit https://nfff.akaraisin.com/ui/nysafcfire23 to view the full article online.

Mark Your Calendar for the 2024 Long Island Metro Fire/EMS Expo

The 2024 Long Island Metro Fire/EMS Expo will be held February 2-4 at Nassau Coliseum, hosted by NYSAFC and Islip Town Fire/EMS Museum Educational Center. More details on this expo and educational event will be announced later this year.

Visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/nysafc-fire/albums/72177720306902554 to view the full article online.

Government Affairs News

New York Lawmakers Eye $50 Million Fund in Budget to Support Volunteer Fire Departments

A growing bipartisan effort in the Legislature is mounting for the next state budget to include millions of more dollars in funding to rescue volunteer fire departments in addition to what Governor Kathy Hochul proposed in her executive budget.

Visit https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/politics/2023/03/23/lawmakers-eye--50m-fund-in-budget-to-support-volunteer-fire-depts- to view the full article online.

Bill Helping First Responders Passes in State Senate

The New York State Senate unanimously passed two bills sponsored by State Senator Pete Harckham – one to expand health benefits for volunteer firefighters.

Visit https://riverjournalonline.com/around-town/for-the-local-good/two-harckham-bills-helping-first-responders-honoring-vets-pass-in-state-senate/61126/ to view the full article online.

Legislative Package Introduced to Protect Volunteer Firefighters from Out-of-Pocket Legal Expenses and Debt Related to Injuries in the Line of Duty

The two bills focus on expediting workers’ compensation hearings and recovering legal fees.

Visit https://oswegocountytoday.com/politics/senator-john-w-mannion/senator-john-w-mannion-introduces-legislative-package-to-protect-volunteer-firefighters-from-out-of-pocket-legal-expenses-and-debt-related-to-injuries-in-the-line-of-duty/ to view the full article online.

Emergency Services News

Buffalo Mourns Firefighter Jason Arno

Firefighter Jason Arno of the Buffalo Fire Department Engine Company 2 was lost in the line of duty while battling a fire in downtown Buffalo on March 1, 2023.

Visit https://buffalonews.com/news/local/city-mourns-buffalo-firefighter-jason-arno-as-investigation-into-fatal-fire-launches/article_d715c278-b8fd-11ed-9b50-67f98db8de21.html to view the full article online.

Chief Suffers Medical Emergency in Fire Engine, Dies

2nd Assistant Chief Steve Haskin Harris of the Fort Johnson Volunteer Fire Company (Montgomery County) was a 40-year veteran of the fire service.

Visit https://www.firechief.com/fire-chief/articles/lodd-ny-chief-suffers-medical-emergency-in-fire-engine-dies-EqzI3SS78fspZBdy/ to view the full article online.

North Syracuse’s Longest Serving Firefighter Dies After Suffering Heart Attack at Fire in January

North Syracuse Fire Department Past Chief Peter Dromms passed away on March 25 after suffering a cardiac event during a residential fire on January 13.

Visit https://www.syracuse.com/crime/2023/03/north-syracuses-longest-serving-firefighter-dies-after-suffering-heart-attack-at-fire-in-january.html to view the full article online.

Future of the Blasdell Volunteer Fire Department Now Uncertain

Blasdell's volunteer fire department hasn't answered calls since November. In a recent meeting, the village proposed a plan for fire protection services.

Visit https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/future-blasdell-volunteer-fire-department/71-969a5816-8d2b-4c4d-8e49-b7df42b5d7d9 to view the full article online.

Spring Valley Marks Two Years Since Deadly Fire at Assisted Living Facility

Resident Oliver Hueston and Spring Valley Firefighter Jared Lloyd died. Lloyd was killed while he was saving lives during the fire.

Visit https://hudsonvalley.news12.com/spring-valley-marks-2-years-since-deadly-fire-at-assisted-living-facility to view the full article online.

Judge Dismisses Felony Counts Against Former Building Inspector in Evergreen Court Inspection Case

A Rockland County judge dismissed felony counts of falsely filing inspection reports against former Spring Valley Building Inspector Ray Canario, dealing the District Attorney's Office another blow in efforts to prosecute people resulting from the 2021 fatal adult home fire case.

Visit https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2023/03/14/evergreen-court-rockland-ny-judge-dismisses-felony-counts-building-inspector-ray-canario/70009156007/ to view the full article online.

Fatal Spring Valley Fire Leads to Inspections; Violations Found at Next-Door Houses

March house fire killed five people, including two minors.

Visit https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2023/03/06/spring-valley-fatal-fire-violations-found-at-next-door-houses/69977326007/ to view the full article online.

New York Has Long Led the Nation in Fire Deaths, Firefighters Say

The high number of residential fire deaths is a statistic that firefighters say underscores the need for legislative action.

Visit https://www.timesunion.com/state/article/new-york-long-led-nation-fire-deaths-17834853.php to view the full article online.

Ex-Fire Chiefs Accuse FDNY Boss of Ageism in Bombshell Suit

Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh has been accused of ageism in a new lawsuit.

Visit https://nypost.com/2023/03/24/ex-chiefs-accuse-fdny-boss-laura-kavanagh-of-ageism-in-lawsuit/ to view the full article online.

Greece High School Students Train to Become First Responders

A New York school district is finding success with a program that allows students to get a jump on their careers and learn life skills at the same time.

Visit https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/news/2023/03/01/greece-high-school-students-train-to-become-first-responders to view the full article online.

Program & Event Updates

48th Annual Fire & Life Safety Educators' Conference Coming Soon

Fire and life safety educators from across the U.S. and Canada will attend this conference hosted by the New York State Office of Fire Prevention & Control and NYSAFC from May 5-7, 2023, at the New York State Academy of Fire Science.

Visit https://www.nysfirechiefs.com/pubedconference to view the full article online.

Regional Hands-On Training Opportunities

NYSAFC's three Regional HOT courses have been scheduled for numerous locations across New York state. View the training calendar to register for "Beyond the Basics," "Fire Behavior On the Inside," and "Flashover." Programs are now being booked for 2024. Departments and county organizations can review the Host Request Form for each course to learn how to bring training to their region.

Visit https://www.nysfirechiefs.com/calendar_list.asp to view the full article online.

Around the State

Robert Covert Promoted to Ithaca’s New Fire Chief

During the March first meeting of the Ithaca Common Council, Acting Fire Chief Rob Covert was appointed as the city’s new fire chief.

Visit https://www.ithaca.com/news/ithaca/robert-m-covert-ii-promoted-to-ithaca-s-new-fire-chief/article_979f99f6-bc2d-11ed-ba3a-2b44b28fac74.html to view the full article online.

Features

Taking Care of Your Mental Hygiene as a Firefighter

As firefighters, we spend most, if not all, of our energy and focus on helping others. But what about our own well-being? How much time do we spend taking care of ourselves or our brothers and sisters in the fire service?

Visit https://www.cordico.com/2022/11/23/taking-care-of-your-mental-hygiene-as-a-firefighter/ to view the full article online.

New York State Association of Fire Chiefs
www.nysfirechiefs.com

1670 Columbia Turnpike | P.O. Box 328
East Schodack, NY 12063-0328
Phone: (800) 676-FIRE | (518) 477-2631
Fax: (518) 477-4430