Piseco Volunteer Fire Chief Dies in Line of Duty While Responding to Alarm

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• Piseco Volunteer Fire Department Chief Steve Woehrle died July 20 while responding to an alarm, marking a line-of-duty death within the Hamilton County fire service.
• Woehrle, a retired police officer and 9/11 responder, began his fire service career at age 18 and previously served as Elmsford fire chief, police sergeant, and acting police chief before retiring in 2009.
• Following his 2019 relocation to Piseco, Woehrle joined the volunteer fire department despite documented health complications from his 9/11 response operations.
• Woehrle was named Piseco Volunteer Fire Department chief in 2024.
• Specific details regarding the cause and nature of Woehrle’s death were not reported; Hamilton County fire officials asked the community to keep his family in their thoughts and prayers.

PISECO, N.Y. — Hamilton County fire officials mourned the line-of-duty death of Piseco Volunteer Fire Department Chief Steve Woehrle, who died while performing emergency response duties on July 20.

Woehrle died while responding to an alarm. The Piseco Volunteer Fire Department announced his death and requested community support for his family during the period following his passing.

According to biographical information, Woehrle’s fire service career spanned multiple decades. He began firefighting operations at age 18 and progressed through increasingly responsible assignments within the fire and police services. Woehrle previously served as fire chief of the Elmsford Fire Department and held positions as police sergeant and acting police chief in his career.

Woehrle retired from active service in 2009. In 2019, following his relocation to Piseco, he joined the Piseco Volunteer Fire Department. Despite managing documented health complications resulting from his participation in emergency response operations following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Woehrle continued his service to the fire department.

In 2024, Woehrle was appointed chief of the Piseco Volunteer Fire Department.

The specific cause and nature of Woehrle’s death were not disclosed in available reports. Investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death may continue under protocols established for line-of-duty death incidents.