Michael Lapinski, of Greece, was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY)’s Firefighter’s Home. Lapinski was elected on August 13 at the 150th FASNY Annual Convention in Tarrytown. This is Lapinski’s first time elected to FASNY’s Board of Trustees.
Lapinski has been a volunteer firefighter for 46 years and a member of the Hamlin Fire Department for 41 years. He began his time with the fire service in 1976, following in the footsteps of his father, who was a firefighter on aircraft carriers. He is the only sibling out of six to go into the fire service. He spent five years volunteering at the Genesee Valley Fire Department in the Henrietta Fire District. Lapinski achieved the rank of Lieutenant at both organizations.
Throughout his service, Lapinski was a member of the Disaster Response Team from 1999 through 2005 that deployed to 9/11 and various hurricanes throughout the East coast and Gulf coast. He has received the ALERT valor award for a winter water rescue on Lake Ontario.
Outside of his work with FASNY, Lapinski is a nationally recertified Life Safety and Education instructor, and a Chairman of the Monroe County Fire Prevention committee. He is also a Past President and Board Member of the Monroe County Volunteer Firemen’s Association and a Trustee of the Western New York Volunteer Firemen’s Association
He lives in Greece with his wife of 19 years, Jennifer, and their niece, Marlessa.
“I have always valued giving back to my community, and have dedicated much of my life to fire service,” said Lapinski. “Now, as a trustee of the Firefighter’s Home, I have the honor of ensuring residents of the Firefighter’s Home, both present and future, have a place that they can call home and live in comfort for years to come.”
The FASNY Firefighter’s Home started 100 years ago as a refuge for firefighters in need with no safe place to live and has become a fully licensed and certified residential healthcare facility. It provides members with rehabilitation and therapy and is well known for nurturing the camaraderie unique to the fire service. Located in Hudson, the Firefighter’s Home also serves as the grounds for the Museum of Firefighting as well as the Firefighter’s Memorial. The home additionally houses a chapel presenting interdenominational services and opportunity for reflection.
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