CALLICOON – On Sunday, the Sullivan County Volunteer Firefighters’ Association held its 65th Annual Past President Brunch at the Villa Roma Resort Clubhouse. Past President and Trustee Bill Lothrop, who served in 2010, was the Master of Ceremonies and welcomed local firefighters to the event. 

Sgt. At Arms, George “Shorty” Stumpfler, led the room in the Pledge of Allegiance before the Honorable Mark Meddaugh, who served as President in 1990, gave the Invocation. 

Current President Robert Trotti gave a welcome speech, which he kept short and sweet, saying, “I have the honor of being President this year for the 65th Annual Past Presidents Brunch. I’d like to give everyone a welcome and thank you for joining us here today.”

Past President Craig Burkle, who served in 2013 and 2023, also gave opening remarks. 

“I started in 2008, became President, Treasurer, Sergeant of Arms and Past President for a second time,” Burkle said. “I would just like to say thank you very much, and in closing, we need to have some more young blood around here.”

The guest speaker of the brunch was Andrew T. Jones Jr., Deputy Chief of the Fire Training and Education Branch - Southeastern Division of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Service Office of Fire Prevention and Control. 

“It’s amazing the caliber of people that are here,” Jones said. “There are many things that we have together with over the years.”

After everyone enjoyed their meals, three awards were presented by Trotti and Lothrop. 

Honoring heroes

For the presentation of the SCVFA Fire Service Lifetime Achievement Award, Lothrop had three other individuals come up to join him as the fourth individual who had previously received the award, the Honorable Terrence Mullen, Nelson Durland and Don Sherwood. 

“The four of us are very, very appreciative to receive this award in the past,” Lothrop stated. “Now I have the great honor to bestow this onto somebody equally and well aware that he joins a beautiful crowd of people who have given their lives to the fire service of Sullivan County. He is a 43-year member of the Jeffersonville Fire Department Protection Hose Company No. 1.”

The individual that Lothrop was giving praises to and presenting the award to is none other than Sullivan County Fire Coordinator and Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, John Hauschild. 

Lothrop listed off the Fire Coordinator’s achievements over his long career of fire service to Sullivan County, which have included serving on numerous committees of the Jeff Fire Department and a two-time past Chief. Hauschild was appointed Emergency Services Training Coordinator for the county in 2008 and then Fire Coordinator in 2017.

“In 2023, he became the first Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety and presently serves in both capacities as a Fire Coordinator and Deputy Commissioner,” said Lothrop. 

Hauschild in accepting the award noted that he had no idea of the honor being bestowed to him, although he said that he thought something was up. 

“Billy [Lothrop] says you need to wear your uniform to dinner,” Hauschild said. “I’ve been a member of the association since 1981 and never wore my uniform to dinner. Also, my son coming home from college kinda caught me off guard a bit and our Chief Joe Mall, who I work with every day, never said anything, and he walked in in his uniform tonight.

“I just wanted to thank my mom, my wife, my son Collin and my other son who couldn’t be here today,” Hauschild continued. “But each and every one of you is my family as well, you have all taught me. If I didn’t teach you, you taught me. It’s an honor to receive this award and I am just at a loss for words, which usually doesn’t happen.”

The Past Presidents Award was presented to Burkle for his two years of service last year and in 2013. The Firefighter of the Year Award was then presented by Lothrop, who said they had a difficult time choosing one candidate from the number of recommendations they received. 

“We had two sets of nominations come in, one from the Wurtsboro Fire Department and one from the Yulan Fire Department,” Lothrop said. “As the committee sat and reviewed all the necessary facts surrounding the situations, independently, we decided that there was no way to give it to one department group or the other. They were both equally heroic.”

Thus, the award was presented to Past Chiefs Richard Dunn and Thomas Morrow and Captain William Barclay of the Wurtsboro Fire Department, for their life-saving actions on September 13, 2023 and Captain Josef Haas, President and Past Chief Jeffrey Haas and Second Assistant Chief Keith Blaut of the Yulan Fire Department for their life-saving actions at a Narrowsburg/Lava structure fire last April 10.