Past Presidents: A Look Back

To celebrate 150 years of the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, the organization’s Past Presidents – Gunnar L. Neilson (1996-1998), James H. Williams (2000-2002), Joseph A. Finnegan (2002-2004), Michael P. Wutz (2006-2008), David Jacobowitz (2010-2012), James A. Burns (2012-2014), Robert N. McConville (2014-2016), Kenneth Pienkowski (2016-2018), and Steven E. Klein (2018-2020) – took time to reflect on the Association’s greatest accomplishments during their respective administrations. They are joined by current FASNY leadership John P. Farrell, Jr. (Immediate Past President), Edward Tase, Jr. (President) and Eugene J. Perry, Jr. (First Vice President) to address current membership and discuss the future of the volunteer fire service in New York State.

Each President shares their legacy and contribution to the Association. They share the stories behind the passage of important legislation, such as the NYS Gap Coverage Cancer Legislation and EMS Cost Recovery; development of The Volunteer Firefighter magazine, the creation of the FASNY Federal Credit Union, becoming a leading force in the fire codes arena, starting the statewide recruitment and retention program called RecruitNY, adapting to the challenges of the COVID pandemic and incorporating the Firemen’s Home and the FASNY Museum of Firefighting in Hudson.

Since 1872, FASNY has continually been dedicated to informing, educating and training the volunteer fire service in New York State. In addition to the contributions FASNY has made in aiding the New York State volunteer fire service, FASNY has been dedicated to providing a home-like setting and personalized care for volunteer firefighters who have served their communities and educating a diverse audience about firefighting as history, as culture, as a service to humanity, as a preventative practice and as an ever-changing art and technology in Hudson.