84 FDNY EMTs Graduate

The EMTs during their graduation ceremony on April 3.

The FDNY celebrated a proud day on Apr. 3, as 84 EMTs graduated from the EMS Academy.

"It takes a special kind of person to be a paramedic or EMT," Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano said during the ceremony at the Fire Academy. "This job is demanding and a 100 percent team effort."

The class valedictorians were EMTs Megan Pfeiffer and Eric Schill.

"There's nothing routine about your day when you work in EMS," Chief of Department Edward Kilduff said. "You will be making a difference in peoples' lives - and sometimes those people will make a difference in yours as well."

The EMTs will be assigned to units throughout the five boroughs.

Three of the graduates served in the United States Armed Forces - Jonathan Jesensky (Marine Corps with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan), Margarita Murfitt (Army Reserve) and Shawn Smith (National Guard).

The new EMTs speak nine different languages, including Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Arabic and Albanian.

"This job won't seem like work," said Chief of EMS Abdo Nahmod. "It never seems like work when you enjoy what you do."

The graduates included:

Kenny Alexis
Robert Amendola
Christopher Ara
Jesan - Michael Avila - Hyde
Lancia Bailey- Hooper
Randall Bingham
Ryan Boyle
Jonathan Broome
Allen Butterbaugh
Christell Cadett
Christopher Caldwell
Alfred Carcani
Ja'Quan Carter
Jason Carrion
Thomas Clark
Andres Coll Martinez
Richard Comerford
Joshua Contreras
Leila Cosme
Jillian Cox
William Curtin
Brian Daur
Anthony de Cesare
Christopher Dimaio
Patrick Donawa
Sarah El- Kadi
Ross Finklestein
Gustavo Garcia
John Gilbert
Joseph Gonzalez
Luke Hardcastle
Kevin Healy
Michael Hospedales
Justin Imburgia
Betty Jean-Baptiste
Jonathan Jesensky
Jeffrey Jovin
Min-Tae Kim
Kerone Knowles
Josephine Kwok
Myron Lawing
Matthew Losardo
Melvin Lozano
Jefffrey Maduro
Jennifer Marinello
Rita Mione
Tania Mitchiner
Brian Moran
Michael Moran
Edgar Moreta
Jazmine Moore
John Muniz
Margarita Murfitt
Daniel Navedo
Kristofor Nelson
Mario Noble
Marat Nurilov
Melissa O'Brien
Stephen O'Brien
Andrea Occhipinti
Charles Okai
Richard Ortiz
Harry Parker
Megan Pfeiffer
Jotish Rajcooar
Christopher Ramos
Robert Ramsey
Kevin Reitzen
Tania Richardson
Daniel Rios
Peguy Romain
Carin Rosado
Dennison Rougier
Stuart Saladin
Eric Schill
Ceasha Smith
Shawn Smith
Simon St. Cyr
David Stewart
Anthony Striano
Keith Vonwesternhage
Mikal Welch
Eric Yau
Deanna Yearwood