Honor Brian F. McQueen

Senate Resolution No. 3369 BY: Senator GRIFFO HONORING Brian F. McQueen upon the occasion of his designation for special recognition by the Board of Directors for the Firemen's Association of the State of New York on October 7, 2017 WHEREAS, The firefighters of New York State are renowned throughout the Nation; their reputation is synonymous with excellence in the arduous field of fire protection and prevention; and WHEREAS, Since the early days of "teapot steamers," the volunteer firefighter has been the cornerstone of our great Nation's efforts to spare us from the ravages of fire; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Brian F. McQueen upon the occasion of his designation for special recognition by the Board of Directors for the Firemen's Association of the State of New York, to be celebrated with a Testimonial Dinner on Saturday, October 7,

2017, at Hart's Hill Inn, Whitesboro, New York; and WHEREAS, Brain F. McQueen has served in the esteemed position of President of the Whitesboro Fire Department since 2001, prior to which he served as Assistant Fire Chief and Chief; and WHEREAS, Throughout his illustrious career with the Whitesboro Fire Department, Brian F. McQueen has been instrumental in obtaining several grants for the betterment of the department, as well as in the development of the new Whitestown Training Site; and WHEREAS, Furthermore, Brian F. McQueen was integral in securing funds to upgrade the department's training facilities and programs in emergency response; he also updated its Standard Operating Guidelines, and currently sits on the Long Range Planning Committee for the Fire Service of Oneida County; and WHEREAS, With a steadfast and unwavering commitment to his profession, Brian F. McQueen has served countless organizations, some of which include the Firemen's Association of the State of New York, National Volunteer Fire Council, National Fire Protection Agency, Central New York Firemen's Association Inc., Believe 271 Foundation and Oneida County Firemen's Association, Inc.; and WHEREAS, A true asset to his community, Brian F. McQueen is an active member of St. Paul's Church, Oneida County Fire Advisory Board and the Oneida County Origin and Cause Development Team; and WHEREAS, Brian F. McQueen has been the proud recipient of numerous awards and accolades including Firefighter of the Year, Distinguished Community Citizen Award, Knights of Columbus Humanitarian Award, MORIC Technology Leadership Award, Central New York Old Timers' Award and Oneida County Historical Society Living Legend Award; and WHEREAS, Brian F. McQueen received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Daemen College in 1977, and a Certificate of Advanced Studies from the State University at Cortland in 1997; and WHEREAS, In addition, Brian F. McQueen obtained numerous firefighter courses from the Office of Fire Prevention and Control and the National Fire Academy; and WHEREAS, With him throughout have been his wife, Sarah, their son, Ryan, and daughter-in-law, Erin, who have all shown him love and support and rejoice in his many achievements; and WHEREAS, Firefighters exemplify the power of human compassion and the strength of the American spirit through actions of the most heroic magnitude; their sacrifices and their selfless dedication merit tribute and recognition by all citizens of this great country; and WHEREAS, It takes a special dedication, a strong desire to help others and a tireless sense of community to forsake precious time with family and friends to respond to the signal that a neighbor is in need; Brian F. McQueen is such a firefighter; throughout many years of devoted service, this volunteer heroically performed, above and beyond the call of duty, those responsibilities which define the task of fire protection; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Brian F. McQueen upon the occasion of his designation for special recognition by the Board of Directors for the Firemen's Association of the State of New York on October 7, 2017; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Brian F. McQueen.