Senate Resolution No. 1582

BY: Senator AKSHAR

MOURNING the death of Michael F. Aswad,
distinguished citizen and devoted member of his
community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and this
great Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Michael F. Aswad of Hillcrest, New York, died on Wednesday,
October 20, 2021, at the age of 71; and

WHEREAS, Michael F. Aswad served as the first paid Broome County
Fire Coordinator in 1981; in 1988, he also became Director of Emergency
Services when they combined the two positions; and

WHEREAS, In this capacity, Michael F. Aswad brought many
enhancements to Broome County not only for the fire service but public
safety in general; and

WHEREAS, He distinguished himself in his profession and by his
sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the welfare of his
community; and

WHEREAS, In his early years as Fire Coordinator, he was able to
bring New York State Fire Training Courses to the county as well as the
establishment of both a Hazardous Materials Response Team and a Wildland
Search Team; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, Michael F. Aswad was very instrumental in
developing the Broome County "Smoke Divers" Program which was later
adopted by New York State as part of their mask confidence curriculum
(SCBA Training); and

WHEREAS, During his time as Director of Emergency Services, Michael
F. Aswad was on the forefront of many projects such as Enhanced 911
implementation in 1992, Emergency Medical Dispatch in 1992, Computer
aided dispatch in 1993, and, in 1997, he began consolidating dispatch
centers throughout Broome County to one central dispatch with its
conclusion in 2004; and

WHEREAS, Michael F. Aswad's commitment to excellence, and his spirit
of humanity, carried over into all fields of enterprise, including
charitable and civic endeavors; and

WHEREAS, Michael F. Aswad, whose dedication did not stop at the
county level, was a volunteer firefighter for Port Dickinson Fire
Department where he served as Chief, the Hillcrest Fire Company where he
also served as Chief, and in his later years with the Chenango Fire
Company; and

WHEREAS, This devoted firefighter was also very active in the New
York State Fire Chief's Association and the New York State Fire

Coordinator's Association; Broome County is undoubtedly a much better
place because of Michael F. Aswad's many years of commitment and hard
work; and

WHEREAS, Michael F. Aswad always gave 110% from day one through year
25 to make certain Broome County was current in every emergency services
facet as possible; and

WHEREAS, Predeceased by his parents, Charles E. and Mary Aswad; his
in-laws, Henry and Florence Knapp; brother-in-law, Al Smith; and nephew,
Christopher Johns, Michael F. Aswad is survived by his wife of 34 years,
Sharon; daughter, Darcy (Christopher) Johnson; two grandchildren, Connor
and Lily; and siblings, Lu-Anne (Brian) Kellett, Mark Aswad, Bonnie
(Jim) Norton; Theresa Smith; and Thomas (Brenda) Aswad; as well as
several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and "His Camping
Family" along with his family and many friends throughout the First
Responder Community; and

WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Michael F. Aswad leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
he served and befriended; he will be deeply missed and truly merits the
grateful tribute of this Legislative Body; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Michael F. Aswad, and to express its deepest
condolences to his family; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Michael F. Aswad.