About Us

The Whole Story | A Credit Union Born to Serve Our First Responders

In early 1950, at the urging of Leonard Aylesworth, of the Syracuse Transit, a meeting to organize the Syracuse Fire Department Employees Federal Credit Union was called to order.  At that meeting, Mr. Aylesworth spoke in regards to the benefits that could be derived from the formation of a credit union.  Mr. Aylesworth was also accompanied by a gentleman from Son Oil.

Representing the Syracuse Fire Department at that meeting were ten gentlemen who later went on to request the original charter.  Those original members were: James J. McSweeney, Frederick J. Unz, Joseph M. Moore, Arthur F. Finney, Edward D. Gilmour, Robert E. Mills, Stanton H. Hudson, Francis J. McLaughlin, Russell H. Kiggins and Harvey Krick

On February 28, 1950, these men requested the organization of the Syracuse Fire Department Credit Union.  Charter No. 6627 was granted approval of organization on March 24, 1950.

The original common bond was the Syracuse Fire Department, which made it an occupational bond.  Today, it is still an occupational bond that has expanded to include employees of other professional fire departments throughout New York State and other employee groups located in the Syracuse area.

Today’s operations are governed by our Board of Directors who serve voluntarily on behalf of the members. The Board establishes the credit union’s direction by adopting policies that set a strategic  direction for the organization and provide overall framework.  We also have a Supervisory Committee which is a group of members who volunteer to inspect the credit union’s records for accuracy, its assets for security, and its procedures as to their adequacy for the proper handling and use of funds and other assets.