The Westchester County H.E.R.R.O. program may assist in reimbursing higher education tuition and student loans.
Learn more about the H.E.R.R.O. program.
We are accepting applications for the 2023 school year
Review Current Classes.
The creation of a permanent, official memorial to honor the memory of Westchester County Firefighters who paid the ultimate sacrifice, became a reality on Oct. 13, 1991. The memorial stands as an enduring tribute to those firefighters of Westchester County to whom we all owe immeasurable gratitude. As part of honoring these firefighters, a memorial service is held annually in October, in which every Westchester County Fire Service Agency, Association, and Organization, as well as the fallen’ s surviving family members, are invited to attend and participate.
Our beautiful memorial is erected in front of the Richard A. Flynn Fire Training Center, located at 4 Dana Road in Valhalla, NY. The memorial consists of a life-
sized bronze statue depicting a firefighter assisting a fallen comrade to safety. Surrounding the statue on the brick walls of the training center are bronze plaques, containing the fallen’s name, department, and date of sacrifice.
The Westchester Fallen Firefighter Committee is comprised of representatives from all major fire service associations and agencies within Westchester County. The committee representatives are:
Liaisons to the Committee:
The Westchester County Fallen Firefighters Memorial Committee is currently accepting nomination applications.
The U.S. Fire Administration has designated the week of May 5-11 as Arson Awareness Week (AAW). The goal of this years campaign is to provide residents with strategies to combat arson in their neighborhoods.
The U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Incident Reporting System reports an estimated 16,800 intentionally set fires in residential buildings occur annually in the United States. These fires result in an estimated 280 deaths, 775 injuries and $593 million in property loss each year.
What makes someone want to burn down a house? The motivations behind the burning of homes are curiosity, vandalism, concealing another crime, excitement, revenge and insurance fraud or arson for profit.
Curiosity
Curiosity fires are most often set by juveniles. The misuse of fire has many variables including age, motivation for firesetting behavior, type of fires set, ignition materials used to set the fire, and the child’s understanding and limitations of fire. Firesetting behavior is often a symptom of the problem and may be manifested through stress and crisis in children’s lives.
Concealing Another Crime
Arson is sometimes used to mask or conceal another crime such as murder. The criminal sets the crime scene ablaze hoping that the victim’s death will be attributed to the fire and not murder. Other crimes such as burglary and larceny are also commonly covered up by an arson fire.
Excitement
Most excitement fires are nuisance fires but may escalate to homes. Excitement-motivated arsonists desire the thrill associated with setting the fire and relish the attention it brings. They rarely intend to injure people but don’t have the requisite knowledge to keep the fires under control.
Revenge
According to the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, the most common motive (41 percent) for a serial arsonist is revenge. An arsonist will target the home of someone in retaliation for an actual or perceived injustice against him or her.
Insurance Fraud/Arson for Profit
Arson for profit is insurance fraud, a criminal method of obtaining money from a fire loss policy. Torching homes for insurance money endangers innocent neighbors and brave firefighters. These senseless insurance crimes also raise premiums for all honest homeowners at a time when every penny counts.
The Westchester County Cause and Origin Team and Arson Task Force encourages residents to further educate themselves about Arson. To learn more about this topic visit the U.S. Fire Administration.
The Department of Emergency Services consists of four divisions: Fire Services, Communications (60 Control), Emergency Management (OEM), and Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
The Fire Services Division is comprised of four units: fire training, fire inspection, special operations, and fire prevention and protection. The division administers, coordinates, and maintains the fire training program that is available to Westchester County’s 58 fire departments.
The Emergency Communications Center commonly referred to as "60 Control" provides primary dispatch services for 52 fire departments and 32 EMS agencies in Westchester. The center is staffed 24 hours, seven days a week to handle fire and EMS mutual-aid requests going in and out of the county.
The Westchester County Emergency Management (WCEM) works with local, state, and federal governments to prepare Westchester for disasters. During a major emergency, OEM may activate the county's Emergency Operations Center, a state-of-the-art facility where the county, local municipalities, hospitals, and utilities work together to keep the County safe.
The EMS division collaborates with local, regional, and state agencies to enhance the effectiveness of the county’s Emergency Medical Services System, by providing emergency preparedness training, mutual aid coordination, and incident management assistance during large-scale events.
The Department of Emergency Services, headed by Commissioner Richard G. Wishnie, plays a critical role in keeping Westchester safe.
In recognition of National Public Safety Telecommunications Week (NPSTW) April 14-20, 2019 we salute the dedicated men and women of the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services Emergency Communications Center [60-Control].
The ECC provides full time dispatch services to 52 of the Fire agencies and 31 of the EMS agencies in the county. These vital services are provided 24/7 by a group of well-trained and dedicated team members that answers emergency phone requests, dispatch local fire and EMS agencies and provide needed logistics to agencies in need.
On Wednesday April 17, 2019 Emergency Services Commissioner John M. Cullen presented the staff with a proclamation on behalf of County Executive George Latimer. The proclamation recognized and honored the work and dedication of the Emergency Communications Center team in protection lives and property.
Often the ECC team works behind the scenes as the “first” First Responders in helping collect critical information and dispatch the most appropriate services to handle an emergency or event.
Photo (Left to right )Communications Operator Matthew DiPrinzio, Communications Operator Dennis Reilly, Senior Communications Operator Alison Berlow, Quality Assurance Coordinator Sabrina Abbot, Commissioner John M. Cullen, Communications Operator Robert Bancroft, Communications Operator Derek Grisanti and Captain John Munson.