Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
More than 1,000 visiting volunteer firefighters, guests, vendors & dignitaries will create over $800,000 positive contribution to local economy
Press Release
The Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY) will bring its 152nd annual convention to Niagara Falls from Aug. 7-11 at the Sheraton and the Niagara Falls Convention Center. More than 1,000 people, including volunteer firefighters and their guests from across New York, vendors and visiting dignitaries, will attend the convention and related events.
The convention is being held in Niagara Falls for the 10th time, and this is 13th time Niagara County has hosted this event. A total of 41 FASNY annual conventions have been held in Western New York since the association was founded in 1872.
The hundreds of visitors to Niagara Falls for the FASNY convention are expected to generate approximately $836,521 in economic activity in the region that week. This includes nearly 1,700 hotel stay nights, meals, social activities and other travel-related expenditures.
"Destination Niagara USA and the Niagara Falls Convention Center are thrilled to host FASNY for the second year in a row, as this allows attendees the opportunity to see and enjoy all of the developments that have happened in the destination in the past year,” President and CEO John Percy said. “The opening of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Welcome Center at Niagara Falls State Park and the Aquarium of Niagara's expansion to include Great Lakes 360 provide additional activities for attendees and accompanying family members to enjoy while in Niagara Falls USA. FASNY has activities planned in other areas of the county as well, creating a positive economic impact that stretches beyond downtown Niagara Falls.”
Activities for the week will begin with the annual golf tournament at Seneca Hickory Stick golf course in Lewiston. Convention ceremonies and proceedings will be held at the Niagara Falls Convention Center, including FASNY's annual Heroes awards, fire police training, a block party, and the keynote speaker, Paul Combs. Additional training will include youth training at the Wheatfield Training Facility and a live fire, hands-on training at the Sanborn Fire Co.
Niagara County hosted the inaugural FASNY Youth Day in 2009 as part of the 137th convention, and hosted the event again last year as part of the 151st convention.
"We are thrilled to be bringing the FASNY convention back to Niagara Falls again for 2024, following the tremendous success of our 2023 event here," FASNY President Edward Tase Jr. said. "FASNY has a long history of holding our convention in our area dating back to 1877, when the convention was held in Lockport, and we have been holding our annual gatherings right here in Niagara Falls since 1892. As both FASNY president and a Niagara County resident, I am very proud that we are hosting the 152nd annual convention right here in Niagara Falls."
Founded in 1872, the Firemen's Association of the State of New York represents the interests of the approximately 80,000 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel in New York. For more information, visit www.fasny.com.