Press Release from Firemen’s Association of the State of New York

(Hudson Valley, NY – Feb. 26, 2014)  The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) plus Hudson Valley-area fire chiefs, volunteer firefighters and other volunteer first responders will participate in an Emergency Services Education & Legislative Meeting at 8:00 a.m., Saturday, March 1st at the Cortlandt Engine Company’s headquarters, Montrose Fire District, 2143 Albany Post Road (Route 9A), Montrose, Westchester County, NY.

More than 200 attendees including leadership representatives of FASNY and volunteer fire departments and ambulance services from Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester Counties, as well as elected officials are expected to participate.

The event is one in a series of educational meetings relating to legislation affecting the volunteer fire service and its approximately 90,000-strong statewide membership. It was recently observed in a news report that the number of New Yorkers that serve in this volunteer capacity outnumber some of the largest unions in the state.

Among the areas of concern are job protection, so a volunteer would not lose a job based on responding during a declared state of emergency; seat-belt requirements; and volunteer emergency medical services being allowed to bill for ambulance services.

The 22^nd Annual Christian J. Becker Memorial Legislative Conference is named for a past president of the Westchester County Volunteer Firemen’s Association and FASNY Legislative Committee member. Becker spearheaded the “safe cigarette” bill which required manufacturers to introduce an additive that makes cigarettes cease burning after a very short time if not actively being smoked, with the intent to decrease the number of fires and resultant deaths caused by cigarettes left unattended.

State Assembly Members and State Senators representing areas of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Ulster and Westchester counties have been invited to the conference.

At 8 a.m. coffee and very light breakfast fare will be served, with the conference portion of the meeting starting at 9 a.m.