Past President Steven E. Klein Honored with NVFC Lifetime Achievement Award

FASNY Past President Steven Klein joined the Oceanside (NY) Fire Department in 1965 and immediately became active in all aspects of the department, serving on many committees. He has held many offices in his company, Terrace Hose & Chemical Co. #3, and ultimately served as chief of the Oceanside Fire Department in 1984.

Klein has also been very active on the county level. He is a past president of both the Fire Chiefs’ Council of Nassau County and the Nassau County Firemen’s Association, served on the Nassau County Fire Commission, and is a past chair of the Nassau County 2nd Battalion Fire District. Klein’s impact through the Nassau County Firemen’s Association has allowed the association to continually meet the ever-changing needs of the active volunteer fire service in the county.

Klein joined the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY) in the late 1960s and was appointed to the Fire Prevention Committee. While on this committee, he created a statewide coloring contest on the theme of fire prevention and life safety. This initiative led to thousands of posters being submitted for judging, with several shared through the development of a fire prevention and life safety calendar that was mass produced by FASNY and distributed to schools across the state.

Since then, Klein has served as a director, vice president, and president of FASNY, working tirelessly on issues including increased training opportunities, presumptive cancer legislation, and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. He currently represents FASNY on the New York State Task Force on Recruitment and Retention, which is working to bolster volunteer first responder staffing statewide.

Klein served as a Trustee of the FASNY Firemen’s Home from 2002 until 2012, holding the position of secretary of the board for seven of those years. He also has been a director of the FASNY Foundation since 2004 and is currently serving as president of the board.

Retired from the USPS, Klein is a father of two and a grandfather of four. His son, Kevin, is also a former chief in the Oceanside Fire Department, and his grandson, Chris, serves as assistant treasurer with the department.