The Piseco Volunteer Fire Department is mourning a line-of-duty loss after Chief Steve Woehrle died Monday, July 20, while responding to an alarm, the department said. The department described his death as a line-of-duty loss and asked the community to keep his family in their thoughts. Woehrle had taken over as chief in 2024 after years of volunteer work and suburban fire service.
Hamilton County meeting materials list Woehrle as Piseco's representative on the county Fire Advisory Board in 2024, confirming his move to the Adirondack community, according to Hamilton County. Public nonprofit filings from ProPublica show he previously held leadership roles with the Elmsford Fire Department in Westchester County before heading upstate. Taken together, those records sketch a career that bridged suburban and rural firefighting operations.
Death While Responding
The Piseco Volunteer Fire Department said Woehrle died while responding to an alarm and urged people to "please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers," as reported by Firefighter Close Calls. The outlet noted that Woehrle had previously served in Elmsford and was well known in Westchester County fire circles. Officials have not released additional details about the circumstances of his death.
County Ties And Volunteer Service
Woehrle's name appears in county meeting materials and tax rolls, underscoring his involvement with Hamilton County emergency planning and small-station operations, according to Hamilton County. His leadership reflects the interconnected network of volunteer chiefs who staff remote Adirondack towns and coordinate mutual aid across wider regions.
No funeral or memorial details were available at the time of publication, and officials had not released further information, according to Firefighter Close Calls. The report says Hamilton County fire officials are mourning the loss.
