276 Probationary Firefighters Graduate from the Academy
The FDNY celebrated a long tradition of courage, pride and tradition on June 30 as 276 probationary firefighters graduated from the Fire Academy.
“You are each making a commitment to this city that goes above and beyond the call of duty and I think it speaks to the future of New York,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg during the ceremony at Queens College. “These are the people who really are the best of the best and the bravest of the Bravest.”
Among the graduates were 35 members of the U.S. armed forces, including Probationary Firefighter Christopher Little, who is currently serving a tour of duty with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq.
His family, Mike and Pat, as well as his girlfriend, Tricia, attended the ceremony in his absence. All of the dignitaries and graduates wore yellow ribbons and a seat was left empty in his honor.
The class also included two sets of brothers – Probationary Firefighters Eduardo and Hugo Diaz and Thomas and Gerard Sheehan. Another class member, Probationary Firefighter Matthew Sweeney, is the brother of Firefighter Brian Sweeney of Rescue 1, who died in the line of duty on September 11, 2001.
“Today you join the best and most highly regarded fire service there is, bar none,” said Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta. “Today you pledge to protect the millions of people who live and work in one of the greatest cities in the world. It is a day to be proud and to look toward the future with hope and resolve.”
This is the second class to receive the expanded 23-week training program at the Department’s Fire Academy located on Randall’s Island.
With 10 weeks of training added to the previous 13-week program, the probationary firefighters learn a variety of firefighting techniques aimed at increasing firefighter safety, including hazardous materials training.
And the class already has put their skills to the test. Fire units praised Probationary Firefighter Taylor Murphy for helping at the scene of a serious accident that he witnessed while driving home from work, stabilizing the victims and assisting the responding units.
“You have all worked hard to get here and you have so much more to learn,” said Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano. “All the lessons and procedures you have been taught need to now become second nature to you for you to succeed.”
The class also was hailed for its generosity. They raised money for the Charleston Fire Department, which lost nine firefighters in 2007, and Army Ranger Corporal Chris Levy, who lost both legs while serving in Iraq.
They also assembled care packages and phone cards to send to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and volunteered for events such as the Special Olympics and a memorial at the Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance.
Probationary Firefighter Shaun Scheurer was named valedictorian, Probationary Firefighter Gerard Reilly was salutatorian and the Physical Fitness Award was given to Probationary Firefighter Joseph Fronio.
“What makes this the best job in the world is being able to help people,” said Probationary Firefighter Scheurer.
He thanked his instructors at the Academy for motivating him and his classmates, joking as he addressed the crowd of hundreds, “it is because of all of them that I would feel more comfortable in a burning building than I do here and now.”
The graduates included:
Nicholas Agosta
Stephen K. Alexander, Jr.
Rory T. Allen
Stephen D. Alles
Robert Alphonse
Michael J. Alveari
Stephan M. Artz
Westley O. Atherley
Timothy S. Austin
Ricardo R. Baez
Christopher L. Barber
Darren V. Barje
Joseph R. Bean
James J. Becker
Shane C. Benac
Robert A. Bennett
James A. Beringer
Silvio M. Bersani
John D. Bertrani
Mark M. Bolevice
Joseph S. Bonanno
Michael C. Boss
Daniel R. Bosso
Charles T. Bracken
Michael E. Brady
Martha A. Brekke
Jonathan E. Brennan
Christian M. Brown
Kevin T. Brown
Lanier Brown
John M. Bruballa
Jeffrey R. Burillo
John J. Burke
Kevin J. Burke
Patrick J. Burns
Thomas P. Burns
William M. Bush, Jr.
Walter D. Butterworth, IV
Rory J. Cahill
Joseph C. Calandra
Michael Cannava
Louis D. Carballo
Christopher A. Carney
Scott Carrella
Stephen Carrig
Terence K. Carroll
Timothy R. Cashion
Matthew B. Catanzaro
Joseph L. Chiodi
Christopher T. Ciaci
Ralph J. Ciccarelli
Frank A. Ciofrone
Aaron M. Clark
Steven M. Clarke
Jessie A. Cole
Rodney L. Colon
Mark J. Conte
Robert M. Cook
Wesley J. Cookingham
Matthew J. Coppeto
James P. Cruickshank
Christopher P. Cruz
Noel T. Curry
William M. Dash
Vincent M. DeCandido
Joseph J. Decker
Vincent DeGennaro, II
Dennis J. Dempsey
Stephen M. Demyan
Michael P. Deo
Brian T. Dessart
Michael O. Diamond
Eduardo D. Diaz
Hugo A. Diaz
Scott Discepolo
Andrew P. Dolce
Michael L. Dombo
Thomas A. Dooley
Mark E. Doran
Christopher J. Doyle
Michael C. Dunne
Rintaro W. Ebe
Jonathan M. Edell
Kevin Fallon
Vincent P. Fazio
Timothy J. Feola
Thomas Ferrara
Joseph J. Ficarelli
John F. Finnerty
Carmine L. Fiore
Daniel G. Fitzsimmons
Daniel Fiuza
Tenisha O. Forbes
Sean V. Foster
Vincent A. Franco
David J. Franz
Dennis M. Fredrickson
James R. Friedlander
Joseph J. Fronio
John J. Fuchs
Dustin M. Fure
Brendan W. Gaffney
Michael T. Galard
David M. Gallagher
Joseph V. Gandolfo
Benjamin Gelker
Matthew T. Gilmartin
Abel Gonzalez
Daniel M. Gonzalez
Reuben A. Gonzalez
James B. Gorman
Phillip Grippo
Ian T. Grunke
Scott W. Guers
James J. Gunning, Jr.
Matthew J. Haeselin
Clell M. Hall
Daniel J. Hamelburg
Bradley R. Hardie
Christopher M. Harkinish
Kenneth J. Hartmann
Michael T. Harvey
Aly A. Hawana
Brendan S. Hayden
Michael C. Hopp
Kevin M. Hourican
Michael T Hurley
Michael Hymowitz
James F. Immediato
Philip C. Ingwersen
Gregory A. Jaronczyk
Thomas F. Jennings
Sven H. Jensen
Craig S. Kander
Christopher Kennedy
Richard B. Kerr
Guy L. Kirschberg
Sean W. Koellner
Kevin Koster
Thomas M. Krawchuk
Jason J. Kuchinski
Paul F. Kunkel Jr.
Richard F. Kuntzler
Anthony V. Lampo Iii
John M. Lartin
Michael A. Lawrie
Adam Lazatin
Jarrett J. Levy
Christopher P. Little
David W. Luciano
Chad T. Lundwall
Richard A. Lutz
Alan M. Lynch
Sean P. Lyons
Stephen R. Madurski
Paul N. Maggio
Peter P. Magliente
Craig J. Martin
Anthony Martucci
Stephen J. Masom
Jamie Masterpalo
Robert M. McCaffrey
Kyle J. McCormick
Michael J. McDonagh
Michael P. McGovern
Andrew C. McGowan
Devin T. McGrath
Michael E. McGuinness
John P. McHugh
Patrick J. McKeon
Coleman P. McMillan
Matthew B. McNamara
Clayton Medina
Orlando Mercado
Robert C. Merkle
Kevin M. Meyer
Fabio V. Milazzo
William E. Mills
Sean P. Minton
Frank S. Miscioscia
Brian J. Mohr
Anthony Morales
Conor F. Moriarty
Salvatore Muffaletto
Frank J. Munsch
Taylor E. Murphy
Timothy S. Murphy
Joseph A. Muzzonigro
Donald S. Natalicchio
Zachary D. Nathanson
Kyle P. Nevin
Michael C. Nicastro
Gerrit F. Nijboer
Basil D. Nonis
Kevin R. Norton
Sean F Norton
Brian C. Nowak
Candido I. Nunez
Robert Oliver
Jorge Orta
David J. Ortiz
Ian W. Overzat
Andrew J. Pagano
Joseph N. Pagano
Gerrasimos Pavlatos
Joseph L. Pelo
Lester A. Peters, Jr
Charles A. Piranio
Christopher S. Pirrone
Brian M. Pober
Dmitriy Ponomarev
Rafael Poueriet
Timothy J. Proctor
Michael A. Pugliese
Justin A. Puvogel
Matthew K. Quinones
Marc Randazzo
Todd M. Rauch
Stephen J. Reichel
Gerard M. Reilly
Matthew P. Reilly
Bradley D. Reppert
Jason J. Rivas
William J. Rix
Bernardo Rodriguez
Jason R. Rodriquez
Lelis S. Rosario
Daniel P. Rotanz
Brant Ryan
William O. Ryan
Sean P. Ryan
Marcello A. Sacco
Gilbert Saez, Jr.
Shaun P. Scheurer
Steven R. Schmutzler
John R. Schroeder
Joseph R. Schwarz
Gerald B. Sheehan
Thomas E. Sheehan
Steve Sietos
Christopher L. Silva
David Skinner
Patrick J. Smith
Timothy F. Smith
Kevin P. Steigert
David A. Struble
Eric J. Swailes
Matthew J. Sweeney
Michael P. Sweeney
Phillip A. Sylvester
Brian J. Szeluga
Jomo C. Thomas
Kevin P. Tierney
Christopher T. Treloar
Stanley Trojanowski, Jr
Christopher J. Tropiano
N. Michael Tuma
David M. Turner
Daniel M. Urgo
John P. Vaeth
Edwin B. Vega
Joseph Velotti
Christopher J. Vesey
Dennis Vincent, Jr.
Brian N. Wallace
Donavin E. Watson
Justin E. Wayne
James P. Werner
Jason E. Wiese
Richard D. Windmuller
Michael J. Wisniewski
Theodore P. Yankowski
Peter A. Yaverbaum
Daniel E. Zazulka
Adam T. Zebrowski
Ian W. Ziegler