FDNY Foundation Awards College Scholarships to 96 FDNY members

Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano and Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta
with donors and scholarship recipients at the New York City Fire Museum on April 3

Commissioner Scoppetta, Chief Salvatore Cassano and FDNY Foundation Executive Director Jean O’Shea gathered at the New York City Fire Museum April 3 to thank donors who helped fund 96 scholarships to John Jay College for FDNY members.

“Last summer when we heard that a very popular firefighter scholarship program at John Jay College was not included in the city budget, we knew right away something had to be done. We know that many of our members rely on assistance from those scholarships to pay for the college credits they need to rise up through the ranks at the fire department,” Commissioner Scoppetta said. “So the first thing we did after learning this program was in jeopardy was we reached out to our friends at the FDNY Foundation. They immediately put out an appeal to prospective donors and now, just nine months later, people from all industries have stepped up and donated $127,030.”

“We’re so proud to be able to award these scholarships to so many dedicated members of the department,” said FDNY Foundation Executive Director Jean O’Shea. “We couldn’t have done any of this without the generosity of so many individuals, businesses and organizations who understand the importance of these scholarships in creating the next generation of leaders at the FDNY.”