2019 Virginia Fire + Rescue Conference

John Walters
Firefighter/Chief of Department
FDNY/Port Washington Vol. Fire Department


John is a Retired New York City Firefighter and Ex-Chief of the Port Washington Volunteer Fire Department on Long Island New York. John was born to be a fireman he became a junior fireman in 1982, joined the Port Washington Fire Department in 1986 and worked his way up the ranks from Probationary member to Chief of the Department. Realizing a lifelong dream, John became a member of the FDNY in 1995. John was with them for 14 years starting in Engine 237 in Brooklyn, he worked and trained hard to become one of the first firefighters asked to be a member of Squad 288 in queens and ending his career in Rescue 1 in Manhattan. John has seen a lot of tragedy from losing his entire squad in 9/11 and working ground zero for 6 months to tragically lost his leg in July of 2006 while he was working in Manhattan and was forced into retirement. John through everything has not lost his spirit or his sense of brotherhood. He is an amazing family man with five children and an inspiration to many. A quote which John has lived by and describes his passion perfectly:
{“I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a fireman. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work which the fireman has to do believe that his is a noble calling. Our proudest moment is to save lives. Under the impulse of such thoughts, the nobility of the occupation thrills us and stimulates us to deeds of daring, even of supreme sacrifice.”} Ex- Chief Edward F. Crocker.

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