CLINTONDALE – Six members of a volunteer fire department, including the chief, have resigned, leaving the department with a skeleton crew of partially trained firefighters to respond to calls in the district. Clintondale Fire Chief Phil Sabarese, First Lieutenant Bobby Knoth, Company President Sherri Mackey, and firefighters Mike Signorelli, Todd Fillette, and Zach Adolphsen have resigned, leaving the department with two members who have not completed the required training and six with no training, according to Sabarese.
Sabarese, Chief for the last three years, says he had been working to improve and expand training for volunteers who are expected to respond to emergencies with the skills needed to save lives, but the district commissioners ignored him. “There have been ongoing disputes between the board and me over training and compliance issues,” Sabarese said. “My concerns were ignored.”
Sabarese told Mid-Hudson News that, through pre-planned mutual aid agreements, the Highland Fire Department was responding alongside his department to calls in Clintondale because the Clintondale FD lacked qualified members. He said officers in his department were not showing up to those calls because the Highland FD was responding. On August 1, Sabarese placed two members on probation. He says he was placed on administrative leave shortly after, in retaliation for his decision.
Lack of training among members concerned chief
One firefighter, Sabarese said, has been lying for nine years about taking the required training and passing the exam. “The member did not pass the class and has been lying about it all along. The board was made aware and did not expel the member,” the former chief said. Sabarese learned of the lie when he researched training records that are filed with the county. Two other members, who have been in the department for 18 months, still have not taken the required Firefighter I course. The members claimed they had signed up for the 200-hour class, which takes five months. When Sabarese checked with the county, he learned that neither one had registered for the basic training.
Sabarese said the tension at the firehouse is unhealthy and he had to resign. “My job was the protection of the people in my fire district, but not all of the members make that a priority,” Sabarese said. “Some of the members who are still there and the fire commissioners are more concerned about parades, pancake breakfasts and barbecues,” he said. “Your first job when you join a fire department is to be a firefighter and to protect the fire district. Somehow we forgot about this, and this job has built-in stress, with some people not wanting to cooperate. I don’t care if you don’t like me, but if we get a call, you’ve got to go. From a mental health perspective, it was very stressful for me, and I had to get out.”
Resigning member also points to training issues
Firefighter Todd Fillette stressed the importance of training in his resignation letter, saying in part, “The fire service cannot afford to treat training as optional, proficiency as aspirational, or established standards as something that can be adjusted simply because meeting them is inconvenient,” adding, “Training must therefore be completed, qualifications must be earned, required classes must be attended, evaluations and examinations must be taken seriously, and essential skills must be continually practiced. Membership alone does not create competency.”
Fillette, who was also a member of the Fire Police, explained to the board in his letter why training is important. “This (training) is particularly important because seemingly routine incidents can become dangerous very quickly. Even an exterior operation at a common motor vehicle accident can involve hazardous atmospheres, vehicle fuels, battery hazards, traffic, unstable vehicles, fire, or other conditions capable of placing firefighters at significant risk. A firefighter who is unprepared to recognize or respond appropriately to those hazards can become another person requiring rescue, diverting personnel and resources from the original emergency and unnecessarily complicating an already dynamic incident.”
Of the six who resigned, five are certified interior firefighters and three of the six are certified to drive the apparatus and operate the pumps.
The Clintondale Fire District is celebrating 100 years of service with a parade on October 3, 2026.
The fire district did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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