North Syracuse Fire Department

10/10/2026

🚨🔥 TODAY’S THE DAY!!! 🔥🚨

🚒 North Syracuse Fire Department’s 35th Annual Safety Day Open House is TODAY! 🚒

Join us TODAY, Saturday, October 10th, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the North Syracuse Fire Department, 109 Chestnut Street, North Syracuse, NY!

Bring the whole family out for an afternoon of fun, hands-on activities, and important safety information! There’s something for everyone, including:

🧯 Fire extinguisher demonstrations and stove fire safety
🚗 Car seat inspections
🆔 Child ID services
👨‍🚒 Fire department recruitment information
🚒 Fire department open house and apparatus
🎯 Kids’ activities
🏠 At-home first aid and disaster preparedness
🚘 Impaired driving simulator
🥤 Refreshments and much more!

We’re proud to welcome the many agencies and community partners joining us to make this event possible!

📍 Parking: Please utilize the Village public parking lot off Fergerson Avenue.

Bring the kids, invite your friends, and come spend part of your Saturday with us! Help us wrap up Fire Prevention Week by learning how to keep your family and community safe.

We’ll see you TODAY! 🚨🔥

10/01/2026

🎉🎂 October Birthdays at the North Syracuse Fire Department! 🎂🎉

Help us wish a very Happy Birthday to all of our NSFD members/caretakers/bunk-ins celebrating birthdays in October! 🥳🎈

Mark Yorkey
Rich Allen
Joe Santoro
Liam Seeley
Brett Jacobs

We hope your special day is filled with good times, great friends, and maybe even a little time off from the firehouse! 😉🚒

Happy Birthday, October Birthday Crew! We’re glad to have you as part of the NSFD family! ❤️💙

🎂🎉 Happy Birthday! 🎉🎂

09/27/2026

The North Syracuse Fire Department would like to congratulate Past Chief Tim Ellis on his outstanding 20+ year career with the Onondaga County 911 and his new position with the Onondaga County Department of Emergency Management.

Tim has spent more than two decades serving the public and supporting the emergency services community, and his impact has extended well beyond the 911 Center. His dedication to mental health, wellness, training, and peer support has made a lasting difference for countless dispatchers and first responders throughout Onondaga County.

As a Past Chief of the North Syracuse Fire Department and our current Health and Wellness Officer, Tim continues to make the well-being of our members a priority. His passion for helping others, his positive attitude, and his commitment to the fire service are evident in everything he does.

We congratulate Tim on this next chapter and look forward to continuing to work alongside him in his new role with Onondaga County Emergency Management.

The Onondaga County 911 Center would like to congratulate Tim Ellis on his outstanding 20+ year career at 911. Tim has a unique ability to bring joy and a sense of calm to his colleagues. In a job that is ridden with stress, Tim finds a way to have an unending sense of positivity and can change the mood in a room instantly. His infectious smile lights up everyone around him and his passion for people is reflected in everything he does - calltaking, dispatch, supervision, training, and peer support. Citizens and first responders have been lucky to hear his voice for these many years, and our staff have been equally lucky to have his leadership and presence during some of our most challenging moments. We thank Tim for bringing his passion for mental health and wellness to the Center - you can’t miss his impact - it is seen on the walking track, fitness room, quiet room, break room, in newsletters, and fitness events. Tim was also passionate about Emergency Medical Dispatch and has taught nearly every class on EMD for the last 20 years. Tim also led our social media team and mentored the next generation of storytellers to share what 911 is all about. We know he isn’t going far and we wish him the best in his next chapter with Onondaga County Emergency Management. Congratulations Tim, we look forward to working with you in your new position!

09/22/2026

🚒 NORTH SYRACUSE FIRE DEPARTMENT — 35TH ANNUAL SAFETY DAY OPEN HOUSE 🚒

Join us Saturday, October 10th, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM for our 35th Annual Safety Day, as we wrap up Fire Prevention Week!

📍 North Syracuse Fire Department
109 Chestnut Street
North Syracuse, NY 13212

Come out and spend the day with your local fire department and the numerous agencies and organizations joining us for this year’s event. There will be something for the entire family, including:

🔥 Fire Extinguisher & Stove Fire Demonstrations
🚗 Impaired Driving Simulator
🧒 Kids’ Activities & Child IDs
🩹 At-Home First Aid Information
👶 Car Seat Inspections
🚨 Disaster Preparedness Information
👨‍🚒 Recruitment Information
🏠 Fire Department Open House
☕ Refreshments

This is a great opportunity to meet the firefighters and other public safety professionals who serve our community, check out the equipment, and pick up some important safety information to take home.

Everyone is welcome — bring the family and come see what your local fire department has to offer!

🅿️ Parking: Please utilize the Village of North Syracuse public parking lot off Fergerson Avenue.

📅 Saturday, October 10, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
📍 109 Chestnut Street, North Syracuse, NY 13212

We’ll see you at Safety Day! 🚒🔥

09/21/2026

On Tuesday, September 15th, 2026, members of the North Syracuse Fire Department participated in live fire training at the Town of Clay Fire Training Center. Members of the Mattydale Fire Department also attended and participated in the training.

The training was conducted by Take The Door Training, with crews working through hands-on fireground scenarios focused on:

• Fire extinguishment
• Primary searches
• VEIS (Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search)
• Ground ladder placement and operations
• Coordinated fireground operations under live-fire conditions

Training in a controlled environment gives our members the opportunity to sharpen their skills, work together as crews, and prepare for the conditions they may encounter on an actual incident.

Thank you to Take the Door Training for the instruction and to B.Fitz Photography for documenting the training through photography.

Train hard. Be ready.

09/19/2026

In Memory of Firefighter Christopher A. Bilger
Christopher Bilger joined the fire department in 1986, following in the steps of his stepfather, Ron. He was young, energetic and had a great desire to learn what it takes to be a firefighter. He progressed well in his training and received his “black hat” when he successfully completed his rookie training.
In the early morning hours of Sunday, September 20, 1987, the North Syracuse Fire Department was dispatched to a reported apartment fire with people trapped. While members rushed to respond, a second call came in for a serious motor vehicle accident.
As Chiefs arrived, they discovered the reported fire was a false, malicious alarm. At the accident scene, however, the situation was tragically real. The vehicle involved was being driven by one of our own—Firefighter Christopher A. Bilger. Chris had been responding to the reported fire when he lost control and struck a tree. Fellow firefighters worked tirelessly to save him, but thirteen hours later, at just 20 years old, Chris succumbed to his injuries.
Though decades have passed, Chris’s sacrifice has never been forgotten. Each September, members of the North Syracuse Fire Department gather at his final resting place to honor his memory. Senior members share his story with the next generation, ensuring his legacy lives on. His picture greets every visitor who enters our stations, and his name is etched into plaques that hang proudly on our walls.
We also honor his commitment and courage through the Christopher A. Bilger – Firefighter of the Year Award, presented annually to a firefighter who goes above and beyond in service to our community.
Chris gave his life while responding to a call for help —. His devotion to duty, his sacrifice, and his memory remain with us always.

09/11/2026

Today, the members of the North Syracuse Volunteer Fire Department pause to honor and remember the 2,977 innocent lives lost on September 11, 2001.

We pay special tribute to the 343 FDNY firefighters, 71 law enforcement officers, and 55 military personnel who answered the ultimate call and made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

To the families who carry the weight of that loss every day, to our fellow first responders, and to our North Syracuse community: we stand with you, we honor their memory, and we will never forget.

#343

09/10/2026

Joint Live Fire Training at Town of Onondaga Fire Training Center

This past Tuesday, September 8, 2026, members of the North Syracuse Fire Department had the opportunity to join our longtime mutual aid partners at the Mattydale Fire Department for their annual live fire training at the Town of Onondaga Fire Training Center.

North Syracuse responded with a crew of four on Engine 6, putting our firefighters in realistic conditions to sharpen their skills, build teamwork, and work alongside firefighters from other departments.

We were also joined by Hancock Field Fire & Emergency Services (ARFF), providing another great opportunity to train together and strengthen the relationships that are so important when the call comes in.

North Syracuse and Mattydale have a long history of working together as mutual aid partners, and that relationship extends beyond structure fires. North Syracuse also provides mutual aid to Hancock Field Fire & Emergency Services at Syracuse Hancock International Airport, making opportunities like this especially valuable.

A huge thank you to the Mattydale Fire Department for hosting us and giving our members the opportunity to participate in this training. The time spent training together helps ensure that when we need each other on someone’s worst day, we already know how to work together.

PC 📸: B.Fitz Photography

Mattydale Fire Department
Hancock Field Fire & Emergency Services

09/08/2026

NORTH SYRACUSE TRUCK 1 RESPONDS TO RESIDENTIAL FIRE IN CICERO

On Tuesday, September 8th, 2026, at approximately 1252 hours, the North Syracuse Fire Department was dispatched automatic aid to the Cicero Fire District for a reported residential fire in the 6400 block of Electric Railway. The box assignment requested North Syracuse Truck 1.

Truck 1 responded to the incident and arrived as the second-due apparatus. Upon arrival, Truck 1’s crew located a fire involving a wall-mounted oven that was beginning to impinge on the cabinets above.

The crew utilized a Class A fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire. Once the fire was extinguished, Truck 1’s crew performed minor overhaul and removed the wall-mounted oven assembly.

Truck 1 remained on scene to assist with the incident until returning to service at approximately 1356 hours.

Any questions, comments, or inquiries regarding the incident should be directed to the Cicero Fire District.

Truck 1 gets ’er done!