YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT PROMOTION SWEARING IN CEREMONY
(July 15, 2021) York, PA — On Monday July 19, 2021, the new Fire Chief and Deputy Fire Chief of the City of York Department of Fire/Rescue Services, will be sworn in by Mayor Michael Helfrich at 4:00 p.m. at York City Hall (101 S George St. York, PA 17401), in Council Chambers.
Chief William H. Sleeger, Jr. started with the Department on March 9, 1992. Prior to his appointment with the department, Chief Sleeger served our country as a member of the United States Navy. He graduated from the HACC Fire Academy and was assigned to A Platoon as a firefighter. He was promoted to Captain on May 30th, 2015, and served as the Captain on A Platoon. He was promoted to Assistant Chief on January 11, 2019, and served as the Assistant Chief of B Platoon. Chief Sleeger was promoted to Deputy Chief on March 25, 2019. He served as Acting Chief during the interim when Chief Deardorff retired.
Chief Sleeger has achieved numerous certifications throughout his career including Pro-Board Firefighter I & Firefighter II, Educational Methodology, Fire Instructor I & Fire Instructor II, Fire Officer I & Fire Officer II, ICS 100, 200, 700 300 & 400, Fire Investigation, and is a certified Building Code Official. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Pennsylvania Career Fire Chiefs Association.
Chief Sleeger is a decorated member of the department receiving numerous awards throughout his career including a Chief’s commendation in 1994 for performing CPR on a victim of cardiac arrest while on vacation at Busch Gardens. Chief Sleeger was named the Department’s 1997 Firefighter of the Year. In 1998, he was awarded for the rescue of an elderly lady trapped on the second floor of a fire on Pattison St. In 2004, while treating a victim in a motor vehicle accident with entrapment, the vehicle operator was reaching for a handgun in his pocket. Chief Sleeger was able to secure the handgun and assisted police with handcuffing the suspect. While on duty in May of 2015, he was awarded for his role in working under a chaotic and dangerous scene, treating two victims suffering from gunshot wounds after a large fight broke out in front of Station 2. In 2016, Chief Sleeger was part of a crew that rescued a civilian who was struck and pinned by a vehicle. He also received a Chief‘s commendation for his role in the rescue of trapped firefighters at the collapse of the Weaver Organ and Piano Building in 2018.
Chief Sleeger is a part of a family committed to the safety of York City. He is a 4th.
generation York City firefighter and his late father served the city as a police officer. His brother Chuck is currently a firefighter in our department.
Chief Sleeger is a York City native and has been married to his wife Vicki for over 25 years. They have two daughters, Rebecca and Rachel.
Deputy Chief Adam E. Smith began his career with the York City Fire Department August 9, 2010, He graduated from the HACC Fire Academy and was assigned to D Platoon as a firefighter. He was promoted to Captain on July 21, 2016, and served as the Captain on B Platoon. He was promoted to Assistant Chief on July 29, 2019, and served as the Assistant Chief of B Platoon.
He has been awarded Chief’s Commendations twice during his career. In 2017, he was awarded for the rescue of a lady trapped on a second floor in a fire on West Philadelphia Street. He was also awarded a commendation for his role in the rescue of trapped firefighters at the collapse of the Weaver Organ and Piano Building in 2018.
Deputy Chief Smith holds several national certifications, including Pro-Board Firefighter I & II, Fire Officer I & II & III, Fire Instructor I & II, and ICS 100, 200, 700 300 & 400. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Society of Fire Service Instructors. In addition, he is a 2019 graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Managing Officer program, the first such graduate for the York City Fire Department. Deputy Chief Smith graduated from the Honors College at Towson University, with a degree in History and Political Science prior to joining the department. While working for the department, Deputy Chief Smith also earned a master’s degree in Emergency Management from Millersville University.
Deputy Chief Smith is a 4th generation firefighter and the first to serve York City. Among his family, his great-grandfather served as Chief of the Aberdeen Proving Grounds Fire Department and his father, Bill, is a retired Driver-Operator for the Anne Arundel County Fire Department.
A native of Aberdeen, MD, Deputy Chief Smith currently lives in York City with his wife of over 8 years, Brittany.
Media Contact
William Sleeger
717-881-6412
Your coverage is invited.
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