Fire Commissioner Presides Over Graduation of 310 Probationary Firefighters
May 4, 2016
On Tuesday, May 3rd, Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro and Chief of Department James E. Leonard presided over the graduation of 310 Probationary Firefighters. Tuesday’s graduating class was the second graduating probationary Firefighter class of 2015 and included four legacy graduates as well as three female Firefighters, bringing the total number of female Firefighters in the FDNY to 52, an all-time high. This graduating class also represents the growing diversity of the Department with 40 % of graduates identifying as people of color.Clara Lyde, one of three women to graduate on Tuesday, recalls growing up in Crown Heights and wanting to emulate the Firefighters in her community. “They carried a positive attitude, and we knew that they would be the first ones to help us if something went wrong. Now that I’m graduating, I plan to carry that same positive attitude. I want everyone, especially young girls and women, to know that anything is possible, we can do anything we want. We’re tough. And with the team at the FDNY, we can move mountains” said Clara Lyde.
Two weeks prior to the graduation, the Probationary Firefighters visited the National September 11th Memorial and Museum, which has become a tradition and rite of passage for members being inducted into the FDNY ranks. “There, etched in the memorial, surrounding the reflecting pools where the towers once stood, you saw the names of 343 of the greatest people to ever wear an FDNY uniform” said Commissioner Nigro. “At that sacred site, their names live on, forever.”
“Right after September 11th, the members from Engine 219 and Ladder 105 were incredibly supportive” said Firefighter Frank Palombo whose father, Firefighter Frank Palombo was killed at the World Trade Center attack. “They’d come to our house with dinner and just hang out, spending quality time with us, playing football and video games. It meant so much to us. They took care of us. When I saw how much of a family they are, and how they embraced my family in the same way, I knew I wanted to be a part of the Department. I’m ready to learn everything that there is to learn about this job.”
Frank Palombo is one of four legacy graduates – including Harry Ford, James Sullivan, and Joseph Herman - who graduated on Tuesday and are following in their fathers’ footsteps by serving the City of New York.
“When I was a kid, I’d go to work with my father every chance that I’d get. I was around 5 years old when I knew I wanted to be a Firefighter,” said Firefighter Harry Ford whose father, the late Firefighter Harry Ford Sr. lost was killed in an explosion at a fire in a hardware store on Astoria Blvd in Queens on Father’s Day, 2001. “I’m honored to keep the family legacy going, and I’m proud to have the chance to live up to my father’s name. I know he would be proud of me today. I’m ready to do my part to keep this city safe.”
“Each of you has made it through the most rigorous training Firefighters receive anywhere in the world,” said Chief Leonard. “You should be proud of your accomplishment, because we are all proud of the work you’ve put in to reach this milestone in your young careers. You have been trained by the best, to be the best.”