Crime & Safety

Meet Scott Edwards, Malverne's New Fire Chief

Long-time volunteer and NYC firefighter elected to top leadership position in Malverne Fire Department.

At 33, Scott Edwards has already devoted more than half of his life to fighting fires. The New York City firefighter started with the as a junior fireman when he was only 13 and now two decades later, he is the chief.

Edwards, formerly an assistant chief in the department, ran unopposed in the April 5 election and was voted by his fellow members into the top leadership position. His assistant chiefs are Scott Rung and James Lang, both of Malverne. Lang is continuing a proud family tradition, Edwards explained, saying, "His father and brother were both chiefs of the department."

And Edwards had nothing but praise for former Chief Danny Morgan, who he will replace.

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"Chief Morgan was an excellent fire officer," he said. "I always felt comfortable working for him. Regardless of the situation at hand, he always kept cool, made sound decisions … and managed to mitigate a situation and get us through it. That's a very tough quality to come by [that] I will take away from him."

Morgan will still remain an active member of the department, and Edwards says he will continue to be "a great asset."

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"We have a lot of younger members in the department," he said, explaining that in the past three years they've recruited at least 15 new firefighters. "These are young, energetic guys and I'm looking forward to Danny mentoring them."

As chief, Edwards wants to focus on keeping the department up-to-date with the newest technologies and techniques. "It's an ever changing world," he said. "I'm looking forward to furthering the abilities of the department."

Although Edwards grew up in North Lynbrook, his home was located inside the Malverne Fire District and he was able to become a junior fireman with the department at the age of 13. He became an official active member in 1997 when he turned 18, the same year he graduated from Kellenberg High School, and has been volunteering with the department ever since.

The camaraderie is one reason he loves volunteering with the department, he says, adding that he's remained close friends with many of the fellow firefighters he trained with as a teen, most of which were in his wedding party. He also came to love Malverne and two years ago, even bought a house in the village with his wife.

But outside of the Malverne fire district, Edwards has made a career out of fire-fighting. He studied at Fordham and Adelphi universities, but shortly after 9/11, he joined the NYC Fire Department and has been working for the past decade in Brooklyn.

"I have a real passion for it," he says. "I really like having the ability to help people, to serve the public. There is no greater reward than being able to help a neighbor or someone in need." 

Edwards responded to his first major fire in the village as chief on Sunday when tore through a home on Scarcliffe Drive.


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