VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: At the 2025 FIRE Expo, first responders shared critical safety tips with families
Tyus Sansbury: As summer approaches, first responders say it’s not just about putting out fires—but preventing emergencies before they happen.
Maria Wainscott: There’s a number of helpful tips that Syracuse residents can use to stay safe this season.
Wainscott: Those are the sounds Syracuse firefighters know all too well as the busiest season for first responders begins. Crews are focusing on what they say matters most, prevention.
Chief Richard Niemeyer: The best fire is the fire that never started.
Wainscott: But summer safety goes far beyond just fires. Chief Richard Niemeyer says crews are preparing for a range of emergencies and encouraging the community to do the same.
Niemeyer: Obviously, swimming accidents. We want to make sure that people are watching their kids. Don’t leave these children out unattended. There’s bicycle helmets – we make sure we get the word out that kids should be wearing adults should be wearing helmets, because if they fall off the bike, hit the ground that could do devastating injuries to their brain.
Wainscott: The push to educate starts early, and where better to get educated about summer safety in Syracuse than here at the 2025 fire Expo. Crews from across New York State shared life saving techniques with the community. Even for Syracuse firefighters, being prepared isn’t just about experience, it’s about staying open to change.
Niemeyer: I’m 67 years old. I’m still learning. Okay, you stop learning when you’re dead.
Wainscott: And for many residents, summer safety lessons and the people who teach them stick.
Niemeyer: They see me at the worst of times, but they remember, hey, that’s the guy that came and helped me. And the little kids come to me, ‘That’s firefighter Rick! He came to my school and he did, he did the fire safety program.’
Wainscott: These crews are doing more than responding to emergencies. They’re setting an example young people want to follow.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Young attendee: A firefighter.
Wainscott: Really?
Young attendee: Yeah.
Wainscott: For Syracuse, firefighters, keeping people safe isn’t just about answering the call, it’s about making sure some calls never have to be made. For more information on summer safety, visit our website at NCCNewsOnline.com.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — As summer approaches—historically the busiest time of year for fire departments—first responders across Central New York are preparing not only with training, but with a push to educate the public before emergencies happen.
At the 119th Annual Conference and FIRE 2025 Expo, hosted by the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs (NYSAFC), thousands of fire service professionals gathered in Syracuse to sharpen their skills, explore new tools and technologies, and engage directly with the community.
“The best fire is the fire that never started,” said Richard Niemeyer, chair of NYSAFC’s Public Education Committee. “That’s why we do a lot of fire safety education and prevention. We want to make sure that fire doesn’t start in the first place.”
While structure fires remain a core concern, Niemeyer said summer emergencies extend far beyond flames.
“Obviously, swimming accidents—we want to make sure people are watching their kids,” he said. “There’s bicycle helmets… If they fall off the bike, hit the ground, they could do devastating injuries to their brain. So all these things we try to promote during the different seasons.”
At FIRE 2025, attendees of all ages explored everything from hydraulic rescue tools to baby swaddling demos for emergency birth situations. But more than just hands-on activities, the event gave firefighters a chance to connect with families in a way that could have lasting impact.
“I’m 67 years old, and I’m still learning,” Niemeyer said. “You stop learning when you’re dead. There’s always a new machine, a new piece of equipment. Every time you get something new, you have to train on it.”
For Niemeyer, public outreach and education are just as important as emergency response—and sometimes, the effects are felt decades later.
“They see me at the worst of times—but they remember,” he said. “That’s firefighter Rick—he came to my school, he taught me fire safety. Now I have kids coming back who I taught 30 years ago.”
That connection with the community, Niemeyer said, is what motivates many firefighters to keep showing up, both in the classroom and on the job. And it’s a message that seems to be resonating with even the youngest members of the community.
“I want to be a firefighter like my daddy,” said one young attendee, proudly wearing a plastic fire helmet as he explored the trucks.
Whether it’s a child learning to stop, drop and roll—or a firefighter mastering new gear on the job—education remains at the heart of what fire professionals say keeps people safe.
Because for Syracuse’s fire crews, safety starts long before the sirens ever sound.