County Legislature honors 2 retirees from Emergency Management Office

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ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature last week presented “Special Recognition Awards” to two people retiring from the Emergency Management Office.

County Legislator Skip Draper, right, presents the awards to Pat Eick, second from right, and Fran Gaylord, center.

Next to them are Justin Niederhofer (left), current EMO director; and Dale Banker, retired EMO director.

On this 16th day of December 2025, we do hereby acknowledge your retirement from Orleans County.

Eick worked 30 years as a secretary at the Emergency Management Office.

“Your outstanding organizational skills proved immeasurable when the county’s north shore was being overwhelmed by high water levels on Lake Ontario, during the Harris Radio System project upgrade, and your efforts to obtain the Fire Safety Trailer,” legislators stated in the award to Eick. “As EMO obtains funding through various grants, your ability to navigate those was impeccable.”

Eick worked with four EMO directors during her tenure.

Fran Gaylord, a past Holley fire chief, worked the past 25 years as a Deputy Fire Coordinator for the county.

“Your efforts were critical in establishing a daytime staffed engine one day a week to cover the east battalion (Engine 372),” legislators stated. “The EMS throughout Orleans County could count on you being at any major or minor incident, going above and beyond augmenting volunteer staffing and operating various apparatuses when needed on scene. Along with taking on the task of coordinating countless training at the battalion and county level.”

(Left) Fran Gaylord accepts his Special Recognition Award from Legislator Skip Draper. (Right) Pat Eick accepts her award for a 30-year career at the Emergency Management Office.