LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring John T. Cowin upon the occasion of his
retirement as Chief of the Syracuse Fire Department

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend those illustrious individuals of distinguished purpose whose
lives have been committed to the pursuit of excellence in their service
to their communities; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, it is the intent of this Legislative Body to honor
John T. Cowin upon the occasion of his retirement after 31 years of
distinguished service to the Syracuse Fire Department, the last eight of
which he served as Chief of Fire; and
WHEREAS, John Cowin was one of four children born in Schenectady, New
York, to Harold and Helen Cowin, with siblings Timothy, Judy, Patricia
and Elizabeth; as a child, John admired and looked up to his father, who
was a personnel manager and his mother, who was a teacher; and
WHEREAS, John Cowin moved to Syracuse, New York, as a teenager and
attended Central High School, where he had many close friends; and
WHEREAS, After high school, John Cowin took a job at Hendricks Photo
Supply in Syracuse, and in the mid-1970s, when he was selling photo
equipment, he let a friend talk him into taking the civil service exam;
John ended up passing the exam, even though his friend did not; and
WHEREAS, John Cowin, who never intended to become a firefighter,
became an excellent firefighter and Chief; he joined the Syracuse Fire
Department in 1977, and quickly rose through the ranks; he was promoted
to Fire Lieutenant in 1987, appointed First Deputy Chief of Fire in
2000, and appointed Chief of Fire in 2001; and
WHEREAS, Although most Syracuse Fire Chiefs only serve a few years,
and only remain in the position through one mayoral administration, John
Cowin served as Chief for nearly eight years, and has the sixth-longest
term as Chief since the department was incorporated in 1877; and
WHEREAS, As Chief, John Cowin oversaw nearly 400 firefighters, includ-
ing those who were also certified first responders, paramedics and emer-
gency medical technicians, and he was responsible for a department that
responded to over 20,000 emergency calls a year; and
WHEREAS, John Cowin was admired for his dedication to the department,
demonstrated by his frequent visits to fire scenes even when he was not
on duty; Chief Cowin was also a great leader and friend, and firefight-
ers in the Syracuse Fire Department took comfort knowing that he was
always behind them "110 percent"; and
WHEREAS, In 2001, John Cowin was one of six from the Syracuse Fire
Department who volunteered to help in the aftermath of the terrorist
attacks on the World Trade Center; through this act, he generously
donated his time and energy to help out his fellow Americans; and
WHEREAS, John Cowin has served in various capacities at the Syracuse
Fire Department Employees' Federal Credit Union, and has served as
Chairman of the Board of Directors since 1984; and
WHEREAS, John Cowin is active in the community and serves as a commu-
nity leader through his involvement in several organizations, including
as board member of the American Red Cross, the Everson Museum and the
Onondaga Historical Society; and
WHEREAS, John Cowin has received numerous awards and departmental
accommodations for his noteworthy service, such as the Francis M.
Hendrick's Medal, presented to him by the City of Syracuse in 1985; the
Hamilton White Award, also presented to him in 1985; the Syracuse Fire
Department Medal of Honor, which he received in 1983 for rescuing two
unconscious children and again in 1988 for rescuing a Fire Captain who

had an equipment failure; the Syracuse Fire Officer's Valor Award, which
was presented to him in 1996 for rescuing an unconscious female occupant
of a house fire; and the New York State Senate Liberty Award, which was
presented to him in 2002 for his response to Ground Zero in New York
City; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor John T. Cowin upon the occasion of his retirement after many years
of distinguished service to the Syracuse Fire Department, and to thank
him for his dedication to the people he has served, and to acknowledge
our respect, esteem, and appreciation for his outstanding service to our
community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to John Cowin.