Firemen's Convention Ends with Competition

RFH 2010, Featured Articles

Sun, Jul 17, 2011

White Eagle Conference Center this weekend hosted members of numerous volunteer fire departments from around the region at their annual convention. The weekend ended this morning with a skills competition at the airpark.

Firemen's Convention Ends with Competition

If it seemed as though Hamilton had more than its fair share of volunteer firement this weekend, it's because many of them had gathered here for their annual convention.

The departments' gathering was held at White Eagle Conference Center Friday through this morning. The annual gathering ended today with a skills competition at the airpark.

Teams from several departments around Central New York gathered to compete in contests that tested their firefighting skills.

Check back for results of the competition.

One of the youngest firefighters at the skills competition was Jesse Polisse, a 20-year-old member of the Canastota department. On his left shoulder he had a tattoo of a firefighter's crest and the words: "R.I.P. James".

He said the tattoo was in memory of his counsi James Clapper Jr., a Waterville youth who drowned before he could realize his dream of becoming a fireman.

Polisse is a student at Onondaga Community College studying fire fighting.