NYSAFC Remembers Instructor Samuel Usborne

• By: Staff
• On: 10/10/2025 08:47:45
• In: NYSAFC News

NYSAFC mourns the loss of longtime association Instructor Sam Usborne, who passed away on October 6. Sam was a member of the Cazenovia Volunteer Fire Department (Madison County) for over 47 years and served two terms as chief. He was also a Madison County deputy fire coordinator and a past instructor for NYS OFPC for more than 20 years. 

Sam was a member of NYSAFC since 1998 and served as a Hands-On Training instructor for both the Annual Conference & FIRE Expo HOT program and Regional HOT programs, where he helped deliver the Flashover, Fire Behavior On the Inside, and Beyond the Basics courses across New York state. In 2024, Sam co-developed the association's newest Regional HOT course, Fire Behavior From the Outside, which he presented through the summer. With a great passion for educating and mentoring other firefighters, Sam also shared his knowledge by writing articles for Size Up magazine and taking the time to engage with students in the classroom, on the training grounds, and off the fireground. 

Sam was honored as the 2022 recipient of NYSAFC's Chief Fred W. Singer Fire Educator of the Year Award in recognition of his outstanding effort in fire service training and education and received the 2024 Fire Coordinator's Meritorious Service Award for his dedicated service through the Madison County Office of Emergency Management Fire Coordination and Training.

Our sincere condolences to the Usborne family and Sam's extended fire service family. We honor Sam and strive to live by his motto to "Be a solution, not a problem."

Learn more about Sam's life here.