The Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY) elected longtime Ossining resident Donald Farrell as the association’s 84th President at its 154th Annual Convention in Ellicottville, NY. President Farrell was administered the oath of office by his son and fellow Ossining firefighter Daniel Farrell as his family and hundreds of volunteer firefighters from across the state looked on.
“It is a great honor to be chosen by my fellow firefighters to serve as President of the Firefighters Association of the State of New York,” said President Farrell. “I am excited for this opportunity to lead FASNY and serve our members and the entire New York fire service.”
Expanding the presence of youth in the fire service is President Farrell’s highest priority for his two years at the helm of FASNY. “The youth of today are the firefighters and fire service leaders of tomorrow,” said Farrell. “I also want to expand the involvement of women in the fire service. These two initiatives will enhance and grow our current recruitment and retention efforts, strengthening the volunteer fire service in New York.”
Farrell has been a member of FASNY since 1990. In addition to serving as the association’s First and Second Vice President, he has also served as a member of the FASNY Board of Directors, Sergeant at Arms and Assistant Sergeant at Arms. He is a past Chairman of the association’s Firefighter of the Year Committee and was awarded the Firefighter of the Year in 2001 as part of a team of Ossining firefighters who pulled a nine year old girl from an apartment fire. Farrell also chaired the 150th Annual FASNY Convention and Parade in Tarrytown in 2022.
A veteran firefighter, Farrell has been a member of the Ossining Volunteer Fire Department for 47 years, joining in August of 1979. He served as Assistant Chief from 1999 to 2002 and was Chief of the Department from 2003 to 2004. He continues to volunteer with the Ossining Fire Department as a Deputy Chief and a member of Cataract Hose Company No. 2.
Farrell has been a member of the Ossining community since 1967, where he lives with his wife Shelly. Outside of volunteering for the Ossining Fire Department, he has had a long history of service to his community in law enforcement. He served for five years in the Westchester County Department of Corrections and served 29 years in the Ossining Police Department, where he retired as a Detective Investigator.
The Farrells are a multi-generational firefighting family, with Donald’s father James first joining the fire service in Westchester in 1965 and serving as a member of the Ossining Fire Department (OFD) since 1968. Don’s daughter Mackenzie and son Daniel are both Ex-Captains of the OFD’s Cataract Hose Company No. 2.
