onondaga county volunteer firemen

What onondaga county volunteer firemen does

The Onondaga County Volunteer Firemen's Association (OCVFA) is a non-profit voluntary membership association founded in July 1899 in Skaneateles, New York. It coordinates and represents 57 volunteer fire departments throughout Onondaga County, up from 23 departments at its founding. The organization's primary function is to facilitate cooperation, mutual aid, training, and recognition among member departments. A comprehensive mutual aid system has functioned under OCVFA coordination since 1936.

OCVFA's core offerings are community-oriented rather than commercial. These include the Fire and Life Safety Trailer — a mobile education unit operating since 2003 that reached over 3,200 people at community events in 2024 — and a Safety Canopy for public safety messaging. The association runs an annual golf tournament that funds youth scholarships, the CNY Youth Fire/EMS Training Weekend for pipeline development, and member recognition programs including the Red Jacket Award, Bill Barden Award, and Clive Belge Award. Member benefits include discounts through commercial partners such as Jerome Fire Equipment (15% off residential fire protection).

OCVFA is governed by elected officers and directors drawn from member fire departments, with no parent company, no external investors, and no commercial revenue model. Funding comes from membership dues, fundraising events, and sponsorships (notably Principal Financial Group). The organization operates with 1-10 staff and serves exclusively within Onondaga County, New York. A 2026 leadership transition brought Dave Steinberg (DeWitt Fire District) to the presidency, alongside new vice presidents and directors for the 2026-2027 and 2026-2029 terms.

Name

onondaga county volunteer firemen

Legal name

Onondaga County Volunteer Firemen's Association

Website

https://ocvfa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Onondaga County Volunteer Firemen's Association is a non-profit membership association coordinating 57 volunteer fire departments across Onondaga County, NY, providing mutual aid coordination, fire safety education, youth training, and member recognition programs since 1899.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Volunteer Fire Department Association Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Education (CPR/First Aid/Disaster Readiness) (EDAAAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Occupant Fire Safety Training, Drills & Warden Programs (BPABAHAM)

Keywords

• Volunteer firefighter association
• Fire safety education
• Mutual aid coordination
• Community fire prevention
• Youth fire EMS training

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

OCVFA is a nonprofit county-level association that coordinates cooperation among 57 volunteer fire departments in Onondaga County, NY through a long-standing mutual aid system, delivers public fire safety education via a mobile Fire and Life Safety Trailer (and a portable Safety Canopy), runs recognition and scholarship programs for members, and hosts youth fire/EMS training and an annual charitable golf tournament.

Product overview

OCVFA is a county-wide association of volunteer fire departments that operates as a coordinating body rather than a technology product company. Its primary offerings include the Fire and Life Safety Trailer and Safety Canopy for community fire safety education, annual events such as a golf tournament with scholarships, and recognition programs including the Red Jacket Award, Bill Barden Award, and Clive Belge Award. The association also facilitates the CNY Youth Fire/EMS Training Weekend and provides member benefits through commercial partner discounts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire and Life Safety Trailer A mobile fire safety education unit that has educated thousands of children, families, and young adults on fire prevention since 2003. Demonstrates dangers of house and dorm fires and provides instruction on fire prevention. Requestable by fire departments, churches, insurance companies, and public organizations throughout Onondaga County.
• Safety Canopy A portable canopy available for fire departments, churches, insurance companies, and public organizations to share public safety messages at community events throughout Onondaga County.
• Annual Golf Tournament Annual charitable golf tournament that includes scholarship awards for youth members from member fire departments. The 2026 tournament awarded scholarships to students from Elbridge FD, Tully FD, and Baldwinsville FD.
• CNY Youth Fire/EMS Training Weekend Annual youth training event providing fire and EMS instruction to young people in Central New York, with applications available for participant registration.

Quantifiable outcome

• 57 member fire departments served
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Principal Financial Group (Mike Caron)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMike Caron from Principal Financial Group serves as a sponsor for OCVFA, providing retirement planning and life insurance services. Listed as a sponsor and supporter on the website.
• Jerome Fire Equipment Co., Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a supporter of OCVFA. Provides 15% discount on residential fire protection equipment and service for members. Located at 8721 Caughdenoy Road, Clay, NY.
• Property RestorationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a supporter of OCVFA.
• Eck Tree & Outdoor Power ProductsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a supporter of OCVFA.
• Smart Website StudiominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite developer for OCVFA. Built and maintains the association's website at ocvfa.org.
• Firemen's Association of the State of New York (FASNY)minorOthersState-level firemen's association linked as a resource for OCVFA members.
• Central New York Firemen's AssociationminorOthersRegional firemen's association linked as a resource for OCVFA members.
• Tiger SchmittendorfminorOthersMutual Aid for Marketing for Fire Departments - resource provider for member departments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): National organization that develops fire safety codes and standards and delivers public fire-safety education. Comparable to OCVFA's fire-prevention education mission, though NFPA is a much larger standards-setting body.
• National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC): National umbrella organization for volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services. Comparable as a coordinating membership body for volunteer firefighters, but operating nationally rather than at the county level.
• International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): Large professional association representing fire service leadership worldwide. Comparable as an industry association supporting fire service coordination, training, and member services, though much broader in scope than a county volunteer association.

Direct peers

• Erie County Volunteer Firemen's Association: County-level volunteer firefighter association in another large New York county. Highly comparable to OCVFA in structure and mission: coordinating member volunteer fire departments, running mutual aid, and supporting training and recognition programs.
• Firemen's Association of the State of New York (FASNY): State-level volunteer firefighter association in New York. Directly comparable as a membership association coordinating volunteer fire departments across a broader geography, and is explicitly linked from OCVFA's website as a member resource.

Regional players

• Central New York Firemen's Association: Regional firemen's association serving Central New York. Directly comparable as a neighboring membership association of volunteer firefighters, also linked from OCVFA's website as a resource for member departments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OnondagaCountyVFA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/onondaga-county-volunteer-firemen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about onondaga county volunteer firemen