Rochester Fire Union President Has Retired

(September 3, 2007) — Instead of firetrucks, Joe Montesano will soon be riding a brand-new John Deere tractor around his 42-acre property in Steuben County.

The Rochester Fire Department retiree worked for the department for 37 years, ripping roofs open, rescuing people and, most recently, standing up for other firefighters as union president.

As a young man in the 1970s, Montesano wanted to "put the best foot forward," and getting involved with the community, he said, is the best way to do that. So he joined the fire academy, and it all went forward from there.

"Thirty-seven years, three months and 11 days, but who's counting?" he said.

Montesano fought fires for 26 years before he became a Rochester fire union employee. At the union he served as treasurer, vice president and ultimately president, a position he held for the last 10 years.

Capt. Fred Johnstone, who worked with Montesano for 28 years, said Montesano brought a lot of experience and knowledge to the union.

"He had a spirit of cooperation, which was a good situation for the union," Johnstone said, adding that Montesano also brought many new initiatives to the department, such as the partnership with United Way to educate children on fire safety.

"I like to think that we were able to keep the number of children's deaths down," Montesano said about the program.

He added that education is the key to saving lives.

Montesano was one of the few firefighters who had worked on a ladder truck that used a pump station. In 1983, he said, most of those trucks were replaced with the current quint-midis.

Not only did he know both systems of operation, but he knew what it was like to fight rough fires.

"I opened up a lot of roofs of hundreds of burning buildings," he said, adding that he was once overcome by smoke and had to be treated at a hospital.

But he got back up and kept fighting smoke and flames. And that positive attitude is what Johnstone most admires about Montesano.

"Always take the high road, and you won't go wrong ... that's Joe in a nutshell," Johnstone said.

Johnstone joined the department 29 years ago and quickly became best friends with Montesano.

"He kind of put me under his wing," Johnstone said.

But he added that the first thing he noticed and admired about Montesano was his cooking. "The food he used to bring to the Fire Department — mmm."

Montesano will now have a lot of time to make his tasty meals. His last day on the job was Wednesday.

Jim McTiernan, who took over as fire union president in April, said Montesano and Fire Chief Floyd Madison, whose last day on the job is Saturday, worked very well together and it will be odd not having them around.

"They have a lot of history together," McTiernan said.

He added that even with Montesano gone, the fire union will continue all the charity programs that were initiated during his term.

Montesano said he is looking forward to spending time with his wife, Susan, their two children and grandson Peter, who will be riding on the tractor with Montesano and helping him with a little grape harvesting.

"I'm going to follow that same road when I retire," Johnstone said.

CLVARGAS@DemocratandChronicle.com