The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has recognized Seth Statler with the Arthur J. Glatfelter Distinguished Service Award, the Foundation’s highest honor for individuals whose service has become inseparable from NFFF’s mission.

Thirty-five years ago, Statler wrote the legislation that established the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. Two years later, with the support of Senator Sarbanes, he authored and shepherded the bill that created the NFFF itself, building bipartisan support in Congress and consensus across the fire service before the organization had a board, an office, or a mission statement.

Statler went on to serve four terms on the NFFF Board of Directors, from 1995 to 2019, including several terms as Treasurer, where he advocated for hiring the Foundation’s first CFO and led a change in financial advisors that strengthened NFFF’s fiscal integrity.

He is also the architect of the Sarbanes Scholarship Program. What began as his personal pledge to fund a $500 scholarship in the program’s first year has grown, over more than two decades, into more than $7.3 million awarded to the surviving spouses and children of fallen firefighters.

Statler’s commitment didn’t end when his Board term did. Since 2019, he has remained active at stair climbs and conferences, helped revive New Jersey State Firemen’s Association fundraisers that have since raised more than $100,000 for the Foundation, and served as liaison to the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

The Glatfelter Award is named for Art Glatfelter, founder of VFIS and co-founder of the Congressional Fire Service Institute, whose own legacy of giving, including a bequest to NFFF in his will set the standard the award now honors. Statler joins past recipients Denny Compton, Hal Bruno, and Dan Speigel in that legacy.