Delaware County (NY) Department of Emergency Services

Today, at the New York State Police 50th Annual Superintendent’s Commendation and Awards Ceremony, Trooper Timothy W. Murray was the recipient of the Trooper William V. McDonagh Community Service Award.

Trooper Murray is the Fire Chief in Delhi as well as a Deputy Coordinator for our office.

Congratulations Tim on this well deserved recognition!!

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Valid as of 11:45 AM, March 31, 2026

Firefighters warn of volunteer rate decrease, raising safety concerns Today, leaders in multiple positions called for changes to increase volunteerism for fire departments, in a time when they say numbers have fallen to their lowest level in over 40 years. Representa…

We have received word tonight that a phone call soliciting donations for a Firefirghters' group was received by a Delaware County resident.

*** The Delaware County Firefighters' Assn DOES NOT solicit via phone. Our annual fund drive letter was mailed in November. This is the only solicitation we make each year to support the ongoing training and recruitment here in Delaware County. ***

Please be cautious when answering these phone calls.

A picture of our official letter is included with this post. As always we appreciate and thank you for your support of our local volunteers!

Kevin M. Brown
President, DCFA
Chief, Bovina Center Fire Dept

SHERIFF DUMOND ISSUES NO UNNECESSARY TRAVEL ADVISORY

As the winter storm continues to inundate our region, Delaware County Sheriff Craig S. DuMond has issued a NO UNNECESSARY TRAVEL ADVISORY for all Delaware County roads, effective immediately and lasting until 6:00 p.m. on Monday, January 26th, 2026.

No Unnecessary Travel: Means that the roads are still open, but that hazardous driving conditions do exist, and no unnecessary travel should take place. Out of an abundance of caution, residents are strongly urged to remain off roadways to allow plow crews to operate safely and efficiently, and avoid placing themselves or 1st Responders at risk.

The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office does not determine whether individuals are required to report to work.

If you must travel, please drive carefully and ensure your vehicle is completely cleared of snow and ice to maintain proper visibility.

Please DO NOT call 911 for road closures or road condition updates. Residents are instead encouraged to monitor local news outlets and official law enforcement social media platforms for the latest information.

Considering the upcoming winter weather Delaware County would like to advise everyone to be aware of the conditions before going out this weekend. Our public works crews, sheriff and EMS are all fully staffed and ready to handle this winter event but ask that you be conscious of road conditions and prepare for possible power outages. Please remember many town and county roads are not maintained 24 hours a day and may become snow covered quickly so be cautious and patient.

Given the forecasted cold temperatures and the amount of snow predicted please take precautions to protect yourself from frostbite and hypothermia while outside. Some signs to be aware of for frostbite include numbness in hands or feet and white or grayish yellow skin color. If you recognize these symptoms immediately go to a warm space, soak in warm water and use body heat to warm the area. DO NOT use hot water, a heating pad or massage as this can damage the skin. Symptoms of hypothermia can include shivering, exhaustion, confusion, memory loss, drowsiness and slurred speech. If you begin experiencing these while outside, please return to a warm space, warm the center of your body first (chest, neck, head and groin), keep dry and wrap up in warm blankets including your neck and head. For any emergency or if these actions do not work contact 911 immediately.

Limit your time outside, dress for the weather, wear layers, hats, gloves and warm boots to protect yourself. Be aware of overexertion while shoveling, especially if you have a heart condition and check on your neighbors if possible. Be sure to protect your pets, limiting household pets time outside and by providing some form of shelter and food for any outside animals. In the event of power outages only use generators or grills outside and do not try to heat your home with a gas stovetop or oven.

Prior to the storm try to make sure you have ample supplies including any medications, flashlights, batteries and fuel for generators. Monitor the news, Facebook and other social media along with the county website to learn of possible road closures, cancellations and additional reports.

ARSON ARREST

PRESS RELEASE: AMY SLATER

January 20th, 2026

Fleischmanns, NY- Today, Sheriff Craig S. DuMond announced the arrest of a Delaware County woman following an investigation into a residential fire that occurred in the Town of Middletown.

On Monday, January 19th, 2026, Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a report of suspicious activity at 746 Old Route 28, in the Town of Middletown. While responding to the call, and in close proximity to the incident address, a Deputy encountered a female subject walking along the roadway. The Deputy stopped and identified the subject as 49-year-old Amy Slater of Fleischmanns. During this initial encounter, Slater made verbal admissions to the Deputy, regarding her setting her residence on fire. As a result, Slater was immediately detained and the Deputy continued his response to the residence, where upon arrival, it was confirmed that the home was in fact on fire.

Delaware County 911 dispatched multiple fire departments to the scene to conduct fire suppression efforts and additionally, members of the Delaware County Cause and Origin Team and members of the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division responded to conduct an investigation.

Upon conclusion of the investigation, Slater was arrested and charged with one count of Arson in the Third Degree and Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, both felonies of the New York State Penal Law. Following completion of arrest processing, Slater was transported to the Delaware County Correctional Facility, where she was held for arraignment at Centralized Arraignment Processing (CAP) Court later that evening. Slater was subsequently arraigned and released pending her appearance in the Town of Middletown Court at a later date to answer the charges.

Sheriff DuMond sends his sincere thanks to the following agencies who assisted with this incident: Fleischmanns Fire Department, Arkville Fire Department, Margaretville-Halcottsville Fire Department, Roxbury Fire Department, Pine Hill Fire Department, Margaretville Hospital EMS, Delaware County Emergency Services and the Delaware County Cause and Origin Team.

In late November Delaware County in partnership with local towns and villages, fire departments and EMS deployed ten weather stations across the county to monitor various weather conditions. The data being collected is transmitted through a third party contractor to a server used by the national weather service to help with forecasting, issuance of weather alters and tracking climate change.

Over the past two months we have been able to gather data on temperature, humidity, wind chill and precipitation to name just a few of the variables being monitored. The stations have all been installed at municipal buildings or fire stations and are located in:
Deposit,
Walton,
Sidney,
Delhi,
Hobart,
Davenport,
Grand Gorge,
Roxbury,
Margaretville, and
Cooks Falls

All of the stations can be viewed by the public by clicking on the link below:
https://delcony.elements360.aem.eco

The site provides a map with each station’s location and a link to click on the individual stations. You will be able to see all of the data being gathered every ten minutes by sensors at each site. With the cold and stormy weather over the next few days we encourage you to check out the weather stations and keep yourself weather aware.

Delaware County (NY) Department of Emergency Services

***NYS BURN BAN NOW IN EFFECT****

Governor Kathy Hochul, with the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation, today announced a statewide burn ban in effect starting today, October 2 due to increased fire risk and continued dry conditions. The ban will be in effect for 14 days from Oct. 2 to Oct. 15 and will be revaluated prior to expiration.