Assembly Resolution No. 88

BY: M. of A. Palmesano

HONORING Ex-Chief William E. Scheidweiler, Sr.
upon the occasion of his designation for special
recognition after 50 years of dedicated service to
the Painted Post Fire Department

WHEREAS, Citizens across our State and Nation are inspired by and
indebted to our noble volunteer firefighters who exhibit courage and
bravery every day in the course of their duties; and

WHEREAS, Volunteer 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, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor William E.
Scheidweiler, Sr. upon the occasion of his designation for special
recognition after 50 years of dedicated service to the Painted Post Fire
Department; and

WHEREAS, William E. Scheidweiler, Sr. joined the Painted Post Fire
Department in 1961, and throughout his five decades of service, he has
continually demonstrated a high knowledge and understanding of
leadership, training, and educational roles with the department and his
crews; and

WHEREAS, As a section officer, William E. Scheidweiler, Sr. led
teams during natural disasters such as the 1972 flood and 1993 blizzard,
and helped organize various community activities and fundraisers; and

WHEREAS, This dedicated firefighter also served as the department's
Secretary and Committee Chairman, keeping every document updated and
organized, including State mandated guidelines and local policies; and

WHEREAS, As Fire Chief, William E. Scheidweiler, Sr. once again
showed high levels of leadership by coordinating disaster plans,
commanding teams of firefighters through large-scale destructive fires
and rescues, all while his department maintained a class four ISO Fire
Insurance rating, which at the time was only seen in career departments;
and

WHEREAS, Currently, William E. Scheidweiler, Sr. is the Treasurer,
and helps train new members and officers; he also teaches fire
prevention to children and adults and to local Boy Scout troops and at
local schools and churches; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his 50 years with the Painted Post Fire
Department, William E. Scheidweiler, Sr. has always strived to hone his
fire service skills by attending training programs and fire school, and
obtained his EMT certificate even though the department never had an
ambulance; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his valuable work with the Painted Post Fire
Department, William E. Scheidweiler, Sr. has served his community as a
Village Trustee and Deputy Mayor for many years; in this capacity, he
tirelessly worked to make Painted Post a better place to live, work and
play; and

WHEREAS, William E. Scheidweiler, Sr. and his late wife, Meg, were
active members of their church and while their children were in school,
they volunteered their time and energy to the West High Marching Band,
the Painted Post Little League, Corning area softball tournaments, and
Boy Scouts; and

WHEREAS, In his much-deserved retirement from Dresser-Rand, William
E. Scheidweiler, Sr. enjoys hunting, fishing, delivering Meals on
Wheels, and above all, spending time with his beloved family, especially
his grandchildren who bring him great joy; and

WHEREAS, Firefighters unwaveringly serve our great State with pride,
valor, and integrity; these respected volunteers are often the first to
respond to an emergency, whether the emergency is a fire, transportation
accident, natural disaster, act of terrorism, medical crisis, or spill
of hazardous materials; 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;
William E. Scheidweiler, Sr. is one such firefighter; throughout 50
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 Ex-Chief William E. Scheidweiler, Sr. upon the occasion of his
designation for special recognition after 50 years of dedicated service
to the Painted Post Fire Department; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Ex-Chief William E. Scheidweiler, Sr.