the hudson valley firefighter

Page 1
HUDSON VALLEY FIREFIGHTER
THETHEHUDSON
VALLEY
FIREFIGHTER
Vol. L1X. No. 2
OCTOBER 2008
OCTOBER 2008
ISSUE No. 450
PRESIDENT McKINNEY SPEAKS:
It is hard to believe my first quarter is almost over as
your President. Everyone told me how fast the year will
go, but I guess I never believed it. As the September
approaches we need to get ready for our legislative
clearing house held each year in conjunction with Hudson Valley Day at the Home on September 28th. This
year we will meet in the Multi purpose room at 11:00 AM
and our new Legislative Committee Chairman, Jim Hartwick, will discuss the progress of old bills that we have
had on the books for years, the progress of some of the
new bills that were introduced this year, and then entertain any additional ideas that may be brought before the
association.
If anybody has any issues that they feel can be corrected through fire service legislation, this is the place to
bring it up. All proposals will be discussed and brought
to FASNY based on the discussions that are held. If
you have never attended this clearing house, I would
highly recommend that you at least sit in on this process. It is quite unique, and absolutely the most democratic method of assuring that every county, company or
department or even individual voice is heard at the state
level.
Tom McKinney
Hudson Valley Day at the Home is fast approaching and again Secretary Criefleds as done another outstanding job in getting our "Home Day Appeal"
letter out to all the companies and departments through
out the association. This is a very difficult job but with
your cooperation we can combine our resources and
make purchases for the home that could not be possible
by any one individual unit. Do you know how much just
one specialty mattress for turning a patient costs, or a
lift to raise an individual out of bed and into a wheel
chair? This is the type of gifts your donations allow the
association to make on behalf of all the member organizations.
I know that it is easy to say at a meeting to
make "the same as we did last year". This is a trend
throughout every department but if you think about it the
prices of the equipment the home needs goes up every
year. Any contribution that your department can make
will be appreciated and spent wisely. This money is
strictly used for things that are needed at the home, and
nothing else.
Tom McKinney
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
October 5 HVVFA Fall Quarterly Meeting
Firemen’s Home – Hudson
Starts 1:00 PM
H.V.V.F.A.
ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE
CAUCUS
WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY,
SEPTEMBER 28, 2008
AT 11:00 AM
AT THE FIREMEN’S HOME
IN HUDSON, N.Y.
BRING YOUR NEW LEGISLATIVE IDEAS WITH YOU.
ATTENTION COMMITTEE CHAIRS: If you chair a
committee which generates revenue for, or expenses to the
Association, you are required to submit a Budget Proposal
to the Budget and Finance Committee by May 1 of each
year for the following year. Failure to do so will result in no
funds being allotted for your committee. It has not been
strictly enforced in the past but it is going to be in the future.
THEREFORE: Any committee which does not submit a
Budget Proposal to the Budget and Finance Committee
by May 1, 2009, will not receive any funding for the
2009-2010 year. Budget Proposals can be sent to:
Michael G. Karashay – Chair
Budget & Finance Committee
21 Division Street
Saugerties, NY 12477
(845) 246-8395
MKARASHAY@HVC.RR.COM
Page 2
THE HUDSON VALLEY FIREFIGHTER
Before I pass on the county newsbytes, I wish to thank all
those who corresponded with me after my accident. My car
was totaled and I'm blessed that my injuries were extensive
bruising - no broken bones. Several shades of black and purple later, I can see signs of improvement.
Westchester County reports that their convention meeting
will be September 18th at the Library on Croton Ave. in Ossining. Food will be served first at the Moose Hall next to the
Library. The Westchester parade will be on September
20. We are delighted to report that Helen Schlurensauer and
Josephine Burns have been selected to be 3 Year Directors of
WCVFA. The annual Dinner Dance will be held on October
17th at the Cortlandt Colonial. Call Linda Bender for tickets
and further information.
Rockland County announces its 96th County Convention
for September 5. Meeting to be held at the Platzel Brauhaus
on Call Hollow Road in Ladentown. Registration begins at
7:30 P.M. The parade steps off at 2.P.M. on Saturday.
Also from Rockland County: Tallman Auxiliary is having
a gala fair and flea market on September 21 from 10AM to
3PM. Vendors may contact Teresa Gamboli at 845-786-3908.
On October 25th the S.W. Johnson Auxiliary is holding a
penny social. Call Teresa with questions.
Saratoga County Auxiliary is having its annual meeting at
the Halfmoon Fire House on September 23rd. County ladies,
please come and join us.
Last but not least: The HVVFA Ladies Auxiliary is
meeting on September 21 at The Old Mill Restaurant on Rt. 4
in Stillwater. Directions will appear in The Chatterbox newsletter.
Keep the newsbytes coming ladies and I will be sure to
forward any information you send.
Leah B.Fletcher
Liaison to the Hudson Valley Firefighter
OCTOBER 2008
The Royal Order of the Red Vest
Honors Two Brothers Who Achieve
Eagle Scout Awards
Pictured (L to R): Ralph Hornbeck, Captain Neversink FD,
Nelson Durland,, Charles and Brandon Edwards (recipients),
and their parents, Lori and Brian Edwards.
*******
On July 18, 2008, a Court of Honor was held at the
Neversink Fire Department Hall to honor Brandon and
Charles Edwards. Both young men attained the high honor
of Eagle Scout, and are both members of Boy Scout Troop
97 which is sponsored by the Neversink Fire Department.
Plaques were presented on behalf of the officers and members of the Royal Order of the Red Vest of Hudson Valley
Volunteer Firemen’s Association. Nelson Durland, Past
President of the Royal Order of the Red Vest, presented the
plaques to Brandon and Charles.
Submitted by:
Nelson Durland, PP,
Royal Order of the Red Vest
ADVERTISING RATES
27th ANNUAL
NATIONAL FALLEN
FIREFIGHTERS
MEMORIAL WEEKEND
TO BE HELD
OCTOBER 4, 5, 2008
IN
EMMITSBURG, MD
If anyone is interested or knows someone who might be
interested in placing an ad in this paper, please contact this
editor at : editor@hvvfa.org
The rates per issue are:
(per issue)
Business Card $25—Quarter Page $40—Half Page $65
Full Page $125
5% discount for a year’s advertising
Page 3
THE HUDSON VALLEY FIREFIGHTER
HVVFA 2008/2009 COUNTY
VICE-PRESIDENTS
ALBANY COUNTY
-
Kathie Wood
368 Shaker Run
Colonie, NY 12205
(518)869-5312,
cell (518)221-5820
KAT121450@yahoo.com
SARATOGA COUNTY
OCTOBER 2008
- Gerald Mehan PO Box 651
Stillwater, NY 12170-0651
(518)664-6272
jeri590@nycap.rr.com
SCHENECTADY COUNTY- Kenneth C. Askew 3108 Guilderland Ave
Rotterdam, NY 12306
(518)355-6229
SULLIVAN COUNTY -
John T. Cassidy, Sr.
2 Joseph Road
Forestburgh, NY 12777
(845)794-3735
jcassidy@hvc.rr.com
DUTCHESS COUNTY - Robert O'Leary PO Box 105
Beacon, NY 12508-0105
(845)831-1523
oleary14@verizon.net
ULSTER COUNTY -
Brian Martin, Sr.
118 Elm St.
Saugerties, NY 12477
(845)246-0163
bmar@hvc.rr.com
ESSEX COUNTY
WARREN COUNTY -
Steven A. Drino
46 Warren Street
Warrensburg, NY 12885
(518)361-4461
kdrino@nycap.rr.com
COLUMBIA COUNTY - George Harp 248 Robinson St.
Hudson, NY 12534
(518)828-5746
GREENE COUNTY
ORANGE COUNTY
PUTNAM COUNTY
-
William P. Elliott 138 Newman Road
Lake Placid, NY 12946
(518)523-4378
- George F. Stacey
76 Schoharie Turnpike
Athens, NY 12015
(518)945-1022,
cell (518)755-5951
prowler@mhcable.com
- Kenneth W. Kruehne 200 S. Montgomery St.
Walden, NY 12586-1637
(845)778-5436
kenk@frontiernet.net
- Jeffrey Bergstrom 4A Garden St.
Brewster, NY 10509
(845)279-944
cell (845)222-1286
bfd603@hotmail.com
WASHINGTON COUNTY - Alvon Macauley
1050 Turnpike Road
Cambridge, NY 12816
(518)677-8264
amacauley1@nycap.rr.com
Rombout Fire Department to Host Breakfast
(FISHKILL, NY) Rombout Fire Company will be having a
pancake breakfast on Sunday, September 28 from 8:00 AM to
11:00 at Rombout Station One at 901 Main Street, Fishkill
near I-84 exit 12. Firefighters will be serving pancakes with
sausage, bacon and toast with orange juice, tea and coffee.
The price for adults is $7, senior citizens is $6, 12 and under
is $5. For more info phone 845-896-8620 or visit our website
at www.romboutfire.com.
RENSSELAER COUNTY—UNFILLED
ROCKLAND COUNTY — Charles Sharon
PO Box 11
Nanuet, NY 10954-0011
(845)638-0269
pinmann44@yahoo.com
cell(914)941-3069
fsylvesterdc47@aol.com
ADVERTISING RATES (per issue)
Business Card $25—Quarter Page $40—Half Page $65
Full Page $125
5% discount for a year’s advertising.
Memorial / Sponsor Page Donations $100
Page 4
THE HUDSON VALLEY FIREFIGHTER
The Hudson Valley Firefighter
Published six times a year by the publications committee of the
Hudson Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association in the interest of the
volunteer fire service throughout the Hudson Valley.
All communications to do with news articles and issue content,
other than address changes, should be mailed to the Editor at
1041 Blue Mountain Road, Saugerties, NY 12477
fax to 1-208-246-3911
Home--845-246-7805
Or email me at john@bmfe.net
Paul M. Fisher—Founding Editor—Hudson Valley Fireman
John J Balling Editor—Hudson Valley Firefighter
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
President, Thomas McKinney; 1st Vice President, Donald Farrell ;
2nd Vice President, Vincent Galvin; Robert J. Creifelds Recording Secretary,
George Hill Financial Secretary, James Ryan Treasurer,
Harry Barrett , Past President.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
James Coons, June L Gunza, Joseph Mellan, Marilyn L Schrader,
Duncan Wilson and Fred Pettingell, Robert Boddie, Charles Eberhart.
PUBLICATION COMMITTEE
John J Balling Chairman,
Liaison Director June Gunza,
Committee Members:
Michael Cesare,
Michael Whelan,
Stuart Gates,
John Mulligan,
*Nancy Ferretti ,
*Diana Balling,
*special assistants from LAHVVFA;
All County Vice Presidents,
William C. Rosenhagen, Jr., CC&BW
correspondent from LAHVVFA Leah Fletcher
http://www.hvvfa.org
ADVERTISING RATES (per issue)
Business Card $25—Quarter Page $40—Half Page $65
Full Page $125
5% discount for a year’s advertising.
Memorial / Sponsor Page Donations $100
DEADLINES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
June 20 for August issue (issue #1)
August 20 for October (issue #2)
October 20 for December (issue #3)
December 20 for February (issue #4)
February 20 for April ( issue #5)
April 20 for June -Convention Issue (issue #6)
For all news items - ads - and photos
BULLETIN BOARD
ALL HUDSON VALLEY FIREMEN OF THE YEAR-2009
Applications go to
Chairman Douglas Mann
103 North Liberty Dr. Stony Point NY 10980
Applications must be received by February 15, 2009.
ALL HUDSON VALLEY FIRE POLICEMAN OF THE YEAR-2009
Applications go to Chairman Robert Ruston
8 Arrow Head Court, Newburgh NY 12550
& must be received by March 1, 2009
OCTOBER 2008
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR:
Well, here we go again. Summer is over and for the
most part, so are the conventions. From June through
September we seemed to be packing our luggage to go
here or there at least every other week. We had a great
time though, meeting old friends, seeing new places,
meeting new people and most of all, making new friends.
We even “had to squeeze in” a vacation out to Montana,
just to break up the routine. Now starts a whole new regime, the testimonials to the retired officers. What a great
excuse for another “party”.
I’ve been having a good amount of trouble with my
computer this month. It won’t do as it is supposed to,
takes too long to “save” data – you know, the whole nine
yards. My computer “fixer-upper” is supposed to be here
to see what’s up, but he has a life of his own also, plus he
has to work for a living. To those people who sent info
that does not appear, I apologize. If it is “time worthy”
and can be used at a later date (next issue hopefully), I’ll
try to use it.
For those of you who are unaware, the HVVFA now
owns hvvfa.org and hvvfa.com. Both sites are up, although the “.com” site is still “under-construction”. I
guess the plan is to run both sites, at least for a while,
then try utilizing the “.org” site for “archived” material;
but, we’ll wait to see what happens there in the future.
Please don’t forget
some important dates coming up:
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28
HVVFA Legislative Caucus
at
The Firemen’s Home in Hudson
11 AM
followed by
HVVFA Day at THE HOME
——————————————————————SUNDAY OCTOBER 5
HVVFA Quarterly Meeting
at
THE FIREMEN’S HOME AT 1 PM,
This is also Ulster/Sullivan Day at the Home
——————————————————————OCTOBER 24 to 26
FASNY LEGISLATION
At the
Holiday Inn on Wolf Road in Albany
John Balling, Editor
Page 5
THE HUDSON VALLEY FIREFIGHTER
EAST GREENBUSH FIRE COMPANY NEWS
East Greenbush Fire Company President, Timothy Peter
Lavin, announces the recipients of the 2008 Scholarship
Program. The recipients were recognized for their achievement at the August meeting of the East Greenbush Fire
Company and were presented with a Scholarship of $500.00.
The 2008 recipients are Melisa Boel, Amy Forgea, Jenna
Gifford and Rosaleen Petroccione. The Fire Company congratulates the awardees in this the fourth year of the East
Greenbush Scholarship Program.
The East Greenbush Fire Company recently participated
in the 119th Annual Hudson Valley Volunteer Fireman’s
Convention and the 81st Annual Hudson Mohawk Volunteer
Fireman’s Convention. The Hudson Valley convention was
held in Warwarsing, NY in June. The Fire Company garnered the first place trophy for their appearance in the line of
march during the Convention’s annual dress parade on June
21. In July, the Fire Company participated in the Hudson
Mohawk Volunteer Fireman’s Association Convention
hosted by the Thomas Corners Fire Company. Once again,
the Fire Company was awarded the first place trophy in their
uniform category for their appearance during the line of
march.
Members of the Fire Company recently participated in
live fire training exercises conducted in association with the
New York State Association of Fire Chiefs Annual Convention in Lake George. The firefighters engaged in a hands-on
training exercise leading to the extinguishment of an apartment room fully involved in fire. Assistant Chief Edward
DiMartino, Captains Michael Benson and Robert Lehman,
Lieutenants Greg Forgea and Craig McCabe, and Firefighter
Michael Prestipino distinguished themselves with their firefighting skills working with firefighters from other fire companies throughout New York State during the evolutions.
Their skills were well recognized by the training evolution
leaders of the exercise, each of whom are recognized leaders
in the fire service in New York State. “I commend these
firefighters for their initiative, skills and dedication” said
Fire Chief Clark Roehr.
Submitted by Peter Lehmann
OCTOBER 2008
ULSTER COUNTY VFA
FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR FOR 2007
On October 20, 2007, the Milton Engine Co. was dispatched
to a possible structure fire at 527 Old Indian Road. Upon
arrival, the three firefighters found a working structure fire
with smoke visible. While putting on their gear, they heard a
soft yell for help from the third floor, where an elderly
woman was visible in the window. The three men kicked in
the front door, and without SCBA’S, they entered and found
their way to the third floor, encountering heavy smoke. In
the bathroom, they found the woman and escorted her out.
During the rescue, she communicated that her husband was
still upstairs. The firefighters re-entered the building and
searched the third floor. They had to back out to the second
floor as they caught a breath of fairly fresh air near to the
floor. At this point they began a search of the second floor.
By this time smoke was banked down to about three feet off
the floor. They entered the living room where Capt. Koenig
found the male slouched in the recliner unable to communicate. At this point the Asst. Chief had found his way to the
second floor. The two firefighters grabbed the victim’s
shoulders and legs and proceeded to carry him down the
stairs and out.
Pictured above are Firefighters of the Year: Captain Allan Koenig, Firefighter
Stephen Rivieccio and Firefighter Gary Lazaroff with Assemblyman Peter
Lopez surrounded by the Milton Engine Co. #1 Honor Guards
Pictured Left: Honorable Mention
Asst. Chief Robert Betanzos of
Plattekill Fire Department with
Chief Chris Mancuso and Assemblyman Peter Lopez
__ __ __ __ __
Pictured Right:
Unit Citation
Winner: representatives of Port
Ewen Fire Department
Article and pictures by John and Diana Balling
Page 6
THE HUDSON VALLEY FIREFIGHTER
WHILE ON VACATION……...
Everyone goes on vacation and brings home those
“vacation stories” to tell family and friends. John and I are no
different. However, this particular story we found might be
of interest to the readers of the Hudson Valley Firefighter.
Our vacation this year was early for us—during the month
of August. First came the news that our nephew was getting
married. Normal enough. However, he is a Captain in the
U.S. Air Force and stationed in Great Falls MT. The couple
decided to get married in Montana rather than her home state
of Washington or his home state of New Jersey. The search
began for a vacation rental. We wanted to rent something that
wasn’t going to cost us an arm and a leg since the air fare
already had us thinking of taking a pension loan! With the
wedding taking place in prime vacation time, this task was a
challenge.
An apartment was found. It was a beautiful one bedroom
apartment. It was the bottom half of a log cabin which was
converted into an apartment. While sitting on the front porch,
one could enjoy the sunsets over Flathead Lake. Absolutely
beautiful. To find this apartment, a search of various websites
was done. The process took a few weeks to really find just
the right one. The renter was Mike Stoker. This is where the
story becomes a bit interesting to you, the firefighter.
Upon arriving at the apartment in Bigfork, MT, Mike welcomed us and
said he was
glad we found
it. John happened to be
wearing one
of his various
firematic
baseball type
hats.
This
time it was
Hughsonville
F i r e
Dept. Mike’s
first question
L-R: John Balling and Mike Stoker
to us after
greeting us was are you a firefighter? John responded by saying he was for 43 plus years a volunteer. Mike informed us
he was a paid firefighter from L A County but retired due to
disability.
The conversation then became quite interesting. How
many of you remember the show “Emergency” TV series
which was broadcast 1972-79? Most of you, I am sure ,do
just like John and I. But did you also know that there was one
real firefighter on the show? He was none other than Mike
Stoker.
The pumper used in the show was turned over by the producers to LA County. Therefore being county owned, a
county employee needed to drive it. The firefighter needed
also had to hold a Guild Card. Mike had been a model and a
OCTOBER 2008
COLUMBIA COUNTY REPORTS:
The Columbia County Firefighters Association held its 83rd
Annual Convention in the Village of Chatham, NY, hosted by
the Chatham Fire Department. The meetings were held at the
Columbia County Fairgrounds on July 25 & 26.
President John Myers ran the meetings on Friday and Saturday. At the Saturday meeting, two by-law changes were
adopted. The first changed the starting time of the meetings to
7:30 (pm); the second change dealt with dues matters.
Elections of officers were held: Richard VanDeusen of
Claverack, President; Darin Lampher of Ghent, 1st VicePresident; James McArthur of Ancram, 2nd Vice-President;
JeffFrench of Mellenville, Secretary; Brad Webster of Stuyvesant, Treasurer; James Coons of Hudson, Financial Secretary (15 years in position); Joseph Loeffler of Valatie was
appointed Chairman of the Board.
Hudson Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association President
Thomas McKinney administered the oath of office to the new
officers. HVVFA Past President Robert Wescott was also in
attendance.
Meetings for 2008—2009 will be held at the Claverack Firehouse on Route 9H; dates are as follows: October 8, 2008;
January 14, 2009; April 8, 2009; and the Convention dates
will be July 24 & 25, 2009.
Submitted by:
George C. Harp, CCVP
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS
AT 2 AM ON SUNDAY
NOVEMBER 2, 2008
DON’T FORGET TO CHANGE THE
BATTERIES IN YOUR SMOKE / CO
DETECTORS; AND WHILE YOU’RE
THERE, WHY NOT VACUUM OR
BLOW IT CLEAR OF DUST
firefighter so he fit the requirements. After being convinced
by his Fire Captain to check it out, Mike did and the rest is
history. Mike told us he was in 52 episodes out of the 142
seen on television. The reason he hardly appears in some
episodes is because he was often on duty and had to give up
scenes to respond to his own station.
We got to see his memorabilia wall in his office which was
quite interesting. John and I continued with our vacation with
visits to Glacier National Park leaving our host to his privacy. Hopefully you found this as interesting as we did.
Article and Photo Submitted by Diana Balling
Page 7
THE HUDSON VALLEY FIREFIGHTER
OCTOBER 2008
ALBANY COUNTY CHECKS IN
The Albany County Volunteer Firemen’s Association held
its Annual Convention meeting/dinner on September 10, at
the Fuller Road Fire Department. Chief William H. Webb of
the Elsmere Fire Department was announced as the firefighter
of the year.
Chief Webb joined the Elsmere Fire Company as a firefighter on June 27, 1985. He was elected Fire Company
Treasurer in October 1987. He served as a Fire Lieutenant
from April 1989 through April 1995. In April 1995, he was
elected to the position of Fire Captain. He served in this capacity until December 1997. Chief Webb was elected 2nd
Assistant Chief in December 1997 and served in that capacity
until December 2003, when he was promoted to the rank of
1st Assistant Chief. In February 2004, he was elected to fill
the position of Chief, left vacant by the untimely line of duty
death of Chief Kevin M. Shea. Chief Webb continues to serve
as the Department's Chief.
Chief Webb is a member of the Elsmere FAST Team and
chairs the Fire Company's popular Fish Fry Dinner Committee, which many residents of the Town enjoy on four Friday
evenings during February and March. He is also trained in
Hazardous Materials Incident Command.
Chief Webb was commended for his brave actions during a
fire at the local Good Smaration Nursing home. At 3:01am
on December 17, 2007, he responded to a report of a structure
fire in an elderly resident’s room. Finding that sprinklers had
extinguished the fire involving the resident’s clothing and
surroundings, he was able to remove the seriously burned
resident from danger and further injury with the assistance of
Bethlehem Police Officer Frank Muller.
The ACVFA also had an inspection day on September 20,
2008 in conjunction with the 90th anniversary of the Guilderland Center Fire Department.
On September 24, 2008 the SW Pitts Hose Co Ladies Auxiliary hosted the Ladies Auxiliary of the ACVFA annual dinner and meeting. At this meeting the second annual woman
of the year was presented to Ethel Smith of the Voorheesville
Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary for her 57 years of active
service to her own auxiliary and to the association.
Congratulations to both Chief Webb and Ethel Smith on
your accomplishments and service to Albany County and
your own departments.
The Elsmere Fire Department has a Pancake Breakfast
planned for Sunday October 19, 2008 from 8am to 1pm.
Adults (12 and over) $6.00, Kids (5-12) $4.00 and under 5 are
free.
Hope to see you all there in October at the Fallen Firefighter
Memorial Service in Albany.
Web Page
Information Update
I would first like to thank President McKinney for
the appointment as Chair of the new HVVFA Web Page
Committee for 2008-2009. I am confident that Russ Chatham
Jr., Jim Ryan and I will work very hard to make the HVVFA
Web Page the best it can be.
To start off, Russ will be the new Webmaster for the
www.hvvfa.com (note the change) Web Page which is currently being developed. Russ is an experienced Webmaster
and offers a great background to make the new hvvfa.com
page a great experience.
The page will offer a new look with easier to use
menus and will have numerous links to firematic and EMS
sites. We are looking for the Blue Vests, Red Vests, and
LAHVVFA all having an avenue to publish event information
and announcements on the page. The logistics of this are still
being worked out but look for these and more exciting additions to the page in the near future.
The committee will be working diligently to keep the
page as current as submitted information allows, which requires that all HVVFA Officers, County VP’s and Committee
Chairs, etc. submit timely information to me at:
blitzattak@aol.com.
We can only publish information as current as we have submitted to us.
To have the information flow efficiently and timely,
all information to be published MUST go through me at the
above e-mail address. Russ will keep the page current and
operating and I will act as a “funnel” to flow information to
him. My good friend, Hudson Valley Firefighter Editor, John
Balling and his committee, will also a be close partner of our
committee, offering up-to-date information for publication
also, especially in the photo department.
We hope that you will enjoy your experience with
the new page, and suggestions are always welcome.
Wayne DePew, Chairman
HVVFA Web Page Committee
blitzattak@aol.com
DON’T FORGET
NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTIONWEEK
Submitted by:
Kathie Wood, A.C.V.P.
October 5 to 11, 2008
PRACTICE IT EVERY DAY
Page 8
THE HUDSON VALLEY FIREFIGHTER
OCTOBER 2008
FASNY DIRECTOR BRIAN MCQUEEN:
I’d just like to share my congratulations on a successful
New York State Volunteer Firemen's Softball Tournament
held this past weekend. It was by far one of the best that I've
ever attended. The fields were in remarkable shape and it
was exciting to hear the many positive comments from the
hundreds of volunteer firefighters, fans and supporters who
attended the weekend events. It was exciting to hear the
many volunteer firefighters and their families who I saw
touring the Museum and the Home speak so highly of both
buildings. Plus it was enjoyable sitting under the tent for all
three days listening to the comments from the "professional"
players who make the Home their Home away from Home.
They really enjoyed the games!
I’d like to share a memorable event that happened on Sunday at the Town Field as we were preparing for the Class B
game. As you know, Whitesboro came down with a rather
new team, one that was filled with eleven players with only
two players who have been to a tournament like this before at
the Home and our Fire Chief who has attended before. As
you know we adopted "Coach" Billy Rosenhagen as our
Honorary Team Coach, and for many of our guys this was
new to them as they really didn't know what the Home was
all about or why people live at the Home. Jake and I can
share many events at our department meetings about the
Home, but until they saw and toured the new Home and the
Museum themselves, they really didn't know what it was all
about. So on Saturday, Billy was with our team the entire
day. He sat on our bench, coached first base with his Whitesboro uniform on for EVERY GAME and called each of our
players by their first name every time they were up to bat,
got on first or made an outstanding play in the field. In fact
he became a perfectionist in "chest bumping!" He studied the
batting lineup prior to us coming and you could tell he loved
being there with us. AND...our team and our families enjoyed having him with us. So Saturday evening one of our
younger players decided that we needed to do something
special for Bill. He asked if he could take one of our newer
softballs and have everyone sign it and present it to Coach
Bill on Sunday. So on Sunday before our game, Firefighter
Matt Zabek, with tears in his eyes, presented the softball to
Coach Billy. This presentation brought tears to all who were
present on both teams that day...and Coach Billy...whose
emotions took over this event went around and hugged everyone on the team and our spectators who attended. Sarah
was able to catch much of this weekend for Billy in digital
format and our department will present Coach Bill with his
weekend in pictures when we see him at the state convention.
This is the type of lesson that enhances our ability to recruit
and retain our volunteers in Whitesboro!
So is the state softball tournament about winning a state
championship...I'm sure it is. But more importantly it is
showing the volunteers of this state what we do for them and
just how important small class acts such as the one Firefighter
Matt Zabek did at the Home for Coach Billy Rosenhagen yesterday that exemplifies the positive image that FASNY creates in our young volunteers. This is
what the NYS Firemen's Softball Tournament is all about!
Our team will be returning again next year! Please let us
know the dates!
So in closing, let me once again say CONGRATULATIONS
to the Softball Committee, Trustees and Greenport for a job
well done.
Brian F. McQueen
Page 9
THE HUDSON VALLEY FIREFIGHTER
DATES WE HOPE TO SEE YOU
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Submitted by Mike Cesare. Locations of various meetings not available
at press time. If you have information, please email to: cidmazur32@aol.com
October
5
8
10
12
14
21
21
24 – 26
November 6
12
14
18
24
25
December 9
10
12
20
January
9
14
20
24
25
27
HVVFA Fall Quarterly Meeting
Firemen’s Home – Hudson Starts 1:00 PM
Columbia County VFA Quarterly Meeting
A B Shaw Fire Company – Claverack 8:00 PM
Rockland County VFA Monthly Meeting
Starts 8:00 PM
Royal Order of the Blue Vests Fall Quarterly Meeting Chatham Fire Department – Columbia County
Starts 1:00 PM
Sullivan County VFA Bi-Monthly Meeting
Mountain Dale Fire Company No. 1 8:00 PM
Dutchess County VFA Quarterly Meeting
Lewis Tompkins Hose Company No. 1 – Beacon
Starts 8:00 PM
Ulster County VFA Monthly Meeting
Woodstock Fire Company No. 1 8:00 PM
FASNY Fall Legislative Seminar
Holiday Inn – Turf Albany
Greene County VFA Fall Meeting
Starts 8:00 PM
Saratoga County VFA Annual Meeting
Eagle-Matt Lee Fire Company No. 1
Starts 7:30 PM
Rockland County VFA Monthly Meeting
Starts 8:00 PM
Ulster County VFA Monthly Meeting
Olive Fire Department 8:00 PM
Putnam County VFA Quarterly Meeting
Putnam County Volunteer Ambulance Core
Starts 8:00 PM
Orange County VFA Bi-Monthly Meeting
Walden Fire Department
8:00 PM
Sullivan County VFA Bi-Monthly Meeting
Narrowsburg Fire Department
Starts 8:00 PM
Albany County VFA Quarterly Meeting
Starts 8:00 PM
Rockland County VFA Meeting
Starts 8:00 PM
Royal Order of the Blue Vests Christmas Party
Firemen’s Home – Hudson
Starts Noontime
Westchester County VFA Quarterly Meeting
Starts 1:30 PM
Rockland County VFA Meeting
Starts 8:00 PM
Columbia County VFA Quarterly Meeting
A B Shaw Fire Company – Claverack
Starts 8:00 PM
Dutchess County VFA Quarterly Meeting
S. W. Johnson Engine Company No. 2
Wappingers Falls 8:00 PM
Ulster County VFA Monthly Meeting
Starts 8:00 PM
Hudson Valley VFA Winter Meeting
Holiday Inn – Kingston
1:00 PM
Hudson Valley VFA Past Presidents Dinner
Special Honoree Harry M. Barrett
Holiday Inn – Kingston
6:00 PM
Royal Order of the Blue Vests Winter Meeting
Napanoch Fire Company – Napanoch
Starts 1:00 PM
Orange County VFA Bi-Monthly Meeting
Starts 8:00 PM
OCTOBER 2008
NEW LAW GRANTS RESPONDERS
HEALTH INSURANCE AVAILABILITY
A7699a Sponsored by Senator James Seward and Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito which provides the opportunity for volunteer fire and EMS responders to purchase low cost health insurance at the leveraged purchase rates paid by local governments was signed into
law today by New York Governor David Paterson.
The new law is effective at the end of January, 2009.
FASNY will be coordinating with the Governor's office,
the Legislature and local government advocates to develop protocols as to how volunteer responders
can arrange for this benefit through their Towns, Villages and Fire Districts. There may be interaction with
the New York State Health Insurance Plan to accomplish this.
FASNY will continue to report on this as arrangements
are made and a seminar is planned for FASNY's October Legislative Meeting. FASNY leadership wishes to
thank the many members who wrote and made calls in
support of the legislation. This was key in encouraging
the Governor to sign this landmark legislation.
FASNY Correspondence
Page 10
THE HUDSON VALLEY FIREFIGHTER
OCTOBER 2008
FASNY PRESS RELEASE:
Kendra DeWitt
858.376.1626
kendra@targetsafety.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2008
FASNY Partners with TargetSafety to Deliver Online Training to New York’s Volunteer Firefighters
SAN DIEGO, CA – July 16, 2008 – The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) and TargetSafety, a U.S. leader in online, enterprise risk management solutions for public entities, today announced the introduction of a web-based training program for New York’s volunteer firefighters. The FASNY Firefighter Safety Annual Refresher program is a custom course designed to meet the yearly, non-practical safety requirements mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as the Public Employee Safety and
Health Bureau (PESH), for the approximately 95,000 volunteer firefighters in the state.
The eight-hour course is divided into four modules and covers topics including identifying workplace hazards, firefighter PPE, emergency response driving, defensive driving, building construction, ventilation, ladder safety, safety
in EMS operations and emergency incident rehabilitation. Equipment inspection and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) familiarization and inspection are not included in the curriculum, as they are considered hands-on
components.
“At FASNY, education is one of our primary missions, so we are very excited to give our members an online training alternative that meets the majority of the annual OSHA/PESH safety requirements,” said Joseph Kelly, FASNY’s
Training and Education Chairman. “This self-paced program provides our firefighters with a convenient and lowcost alternative to traditional, classroom-style training—letting them decide when, and where, they take the course.”
FASNY is offering this program at a significantly reduced cost to members, who will pay just $9.99 for the FASNY
Firefighter Safety Annual Refresher. Non-members will be charged $19.99, which includes the training course as
well as a one-year membership to FASNY. In addition to the eight-hour FASNY Firefighter Safety Annual Refresher
program, FASNY and TargetSafety are also providing an extra 12 hours of online, individual curriculum at no
charge.
To register, volunteer firefighters can go to the FASNY website, www.fasny.com/targetsafetytraining.aspx, or contact FASNY at 518.434.0987 or TargetSafety at 877.944.6372.
About Target Safety
Founded in 1999, TargetSafety is a pioneer and leader in the development of online solutions that simplify and standardize risk management. These solutions are used by more than 2,500 public entities nationwide, including fire
and emergency medical service departments. TargetSafety is the only online provider that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has partnered with to deliver online safety training to the fire service. As a result, it leads
the industry in the creation of a complete risk management solution, PreventionLink™, that enables these organizations to maintain compliance, promote safety, reduce losses, stay current with EMS CE hours, and assist management with the documentation of all
firefighter training. TargetSafety is headquartered in San Diego, California and has a regional office in Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit the website: www.targetsafety.com.
About FASNY
The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) provides information, education and training for volunteer fire and emergency medical services throughout New York State. FASNY strives to recognize the true
champions of these services through numerous awards programs. They also
recognize educators for their work in fire prevention education. Additionally, FASNY provides legislative representation that monitors and takes action on topics of importance to the services. For more information about FASNY,
visit: www.fasny.com.
Page 11
THE HUDSON VALLEY FIREFIGHTER
From the Firemen’s Home By Billy R.
So much goes on around here that we sometimes forget what we've
done. That doesn't mean that we don't appreciate what has been done
for us; just maybe that we're having "too much fun". If in the course of
my tales, I forget an incident, please don't be offended.
On August 6, about twenty residents took a ride to Fuller Road
Firehouse for an "outstanding" roast beef dinner with all the fixings.
Fuller Road was the Home of Past Resident Dominic Ricciardi, who
recently went on to "Bigger and Better Things".
Dominic and I got to be pretty close friends in his last months around
the "Hotel in Hudson", as The Home is known. Knowing that Dom's
sister and brother were present, I asked Tom With if I could say a few
words about Dominic. I don't really remember what I said, just that I
meant each word of it. What I said brought tears to Dom's sister's
eyes; now his brother was another story, he gave me such a tremendous "bear hug", I didn't think I'd survive. his brother and sister are just
as likable as he was. Then we went on to the stadium for the baseball
game. Unfortunately the Valley Cats lost, but we enjoyed the time
away from the Home anyway.
Next on my agenda is the Softball Tournament. I have been lucky
enough to have been "adopted" by the Whitesboro Team as their
"coach and (more importantly) their FRIEND." This group of people is
one of the greatest bunch of people I've ever met. upon their arrival, I
was presented with an official team uniform as their coach. During the
course of the events, I was presented with a ball signed by all members of the team, and it is addressed to the "Coach". At the end of the
games, I was presented with the "Official Game Ball" by the team
members. "THANKS GUYS!!! I love you too." Thanks for accepting me
as your team mate.
Next on the list is our trip to Whitesboro for the Central New York
Firemen's Association Convention. Utica area is Craig Wittman's "old
stomping ground", so he "knows where to eat". Craig stopped at this
Italian restaurant he knows for dinner. We all ordered our favorite
meal; I ordered Lasagna - I got the WHOLE PAN. the "new kid on the
block" to the travelers was Emil Vincent Sergi, who ordered meatballs
and spaghetti. The meatballs were the size of softballs. We all had a
ball laughing at the size of the meal that was presented to us. "Vinny"
was the only one that could finish the meal as presented. Then came
the desserts, the ice cream sundaes came in the biggest salad bowls
you could ever imagine. We did however manage to do a good job on
finishing them. The trip home was even more eventful. We stopped at
a local bake shop for our "traveling snacks" when we met with Craig's
sister, who tried her best to steal his Sunday newspaper - to no avail.
There-in lies the problem, after a street side visit, we took off. We're
headed east bound on the NYS Thruway when Craig notices two
troop cars following us. I might also add that we were in somewhat of
a hurry to make a "pit stop" at the next service area. The next thing we
know, the troopers are making a (felony) stop on us. One of the troopers comes to the window and asks "Are you Craig Wittman?" And
Craig starts to stutter "Yes". After awhile the trooper tells Craig what
the problem really is. It seems that his sister has "lost her car keys in
the FASNY van, while she was talking to the guys. At this point, I
picked up the newspaper she was trying to "boost"' and said here the
are. The trooper also explains that she has been trying to contact
Craig via his cell phone, at which time the immortal Joe Rocco pipes
up with "Is that what's been ringing in the back?"and proceeds to hand
Craig his phone. Not to be outdone by his sister, Craig calls his sister
and says she must come and "bail us out" as the troopers had arrested us. We all had a great time at the convention, even though J.B.
still owes me a dinner.
Again, we, the residents would like to thank all that come and do things to
help us pass he time. In particular, thanks to LAFASNY and the sponsors of
the monthly Birthday Party Committee for this monthly event. We do appreciate all you do for us.
Submitted by:
Billy Rosenhagen
OCTOBER 2008
FASNY and HUDSON VALLEY
VOLUNTEER FIREMEN’S ASSOCIATION
HONOR
THE WINNERS FROM
LEPTONDALE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF
NEWBURGH, NY
Hudson Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association recently
awarded certificates ,and in some cases checks, to the winning
participants in the FASNY Fire Prevention Essay Contest.
Pictured above are students from the Leptondale Christian
Academy in Newburgh, NY in the sixth, seventh, and eighth
grades. Also pictured is Gary Heotzler, principal of the
school.
Submitted by:
June Gunza, Vice Chair of FASNY Fire
Preventtion and Life Safety Committee
Pictures by Gary Heotzler
Page 12
THE HUDSON VALLEY FIREFIGHTER
OCTOBER 2008
HUDSON VALLEY AREA WINNERS IN FASNY FIRE PREVENTION POSTER CONTEST
Submitted by FASNY Vice Chair
of the Fire Prevention and Life
Safety Committee, June Gunza
From John F. Kennedy Elementary
School in Kingston, above, with Principal
Mr. Kenneth Waters, and to the right are
June Gunza and winner Bethany Crescini
****
Below, From the Hallen School in New
Rochelle is Winner Joseph Calero, with his
mother, Mrs. Calero, and June Gunza and
Teacher Roya Shojai.
THE HUDSON VALLEY FIREFIGHTER
EDITOR: 1041 Blue Mountain Road Saugerties, NY 12477
MEMBERSHIP: George Hill
854 Berkshire Rd. Wingdale, NY 12594
Above, Brookside Elementary School,
in Yorktown Heights Winner Swarnav
Pujari with June Gunza and Principal
Kenneth Levy
Below, From Immaculate Conception
School in Stony Point are Winners
Luke Lodini and John Murray, also in
front row is Principal Adele Pascucci. In
the back row is Stony Point Fire Prevention Officer Ralph Luria, and Stu Gates
and June Gunza.
Presort Standard
US POSTAGE
PAID
BUFFALO NY
PERMIT No. 230