HOMER, NY (607NewsNow) — A former firefighter in the Southern Tier has died.
Mahlon Irish, Jr. served as a state fire instructor for Cortland County after getting his career started in 1974 at the Homer Fire Department, where he later served as chief from 2009-14 and 2017-21.
Irish also spent 2 decades with the Ithaca Fire Department, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant prior to retiring in 2012.
In 2024, Irish retired as a state fire instructor following 40 years of service. As a state fire instructor, Irish was credited for helping to train thousands of new firefighters across New York.
