Thirty-one recruits from 14 fire departments in Westchester and beyond graduated today from the Westchester County Career Fire Chiefs Firefighters Academy.
The new firefighters are going to work for nine departments in Westchester, three in Dutchess, one in Orange and one in Nassau. They were awarded their certificates before a packed house at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center in New Castle.
County Executive Ken Jenkins congratulated the graduates for successfully completing the rigorous academic and physical demands of their Academy training. He noted that firefighters need a broad range of skills to handle incidents ranging from building fires to hazardous materials to rescue and recovery efforts following severe storms.
Jenkins said, “Firefighters are also called upon to come to the aid of the people in all kinds of conditions and at all hours of the day and night. The major winter storm we experienced last weekend is a fresh reminder of that reality. I am sure there are many in this room who made their way to and from work during the storm, and responded in whiteout conditions to fires, vehicle accidents and other calls. I am grateful to all of you, and to your fellow firefighters, for the service you rendered in those treacherous conditions.”
He thanked the career chiefs, Academy commanding officers, instructors and staff from the Department of Emergency Services for preparing the new firefighters for the challenges ahead.
Other speakers who lauded the graduates were DES Commissioner Susan Spear; Deputy County Executive Richard G. Wishnie; Peekskill Fire Chief James Seymour, president of the Westchester Career Chiefs Association; and Eastchester Fire Department Lt. Dominick DiRienzo, who served as the Academy’s commanding officer along with New Fire Rochelle Fire Department Deputy Chief Joseph Sinatra.
The graduates and their departments are:
Eastchester: Nicholas DiBrino, Kevin Donovan, Giovanni Ruffolo.
Fairview: Tyler Loccisano.
Harrison: Daniel Cochrane.
LaGrange: Kyle Lewis, Phillip Scarano, Owen Thomas
Long Beach: Michael Skudin
Mount Vernon: Taj Bridgers, Daniel Brooks, Christopher Cargill, Matthew Doria, Lennie Graham, RayQuan Hyatt, Damon Reynolds, Julius Runcie, Akeem Vereen.
Newburgh: Michael Hernandez.
Peekskill: Dominick Marinello.
Pelham Manor: Leonard Esposito, Santino Esposito.
Pleasant Valley: Spence Simoni
Poughkeepsie: James Boyles, Michael Ross.
Rye Brook: Charles Nielsen.
Scarsdale: Nicholas Camardella.
White Plains: Helany Cano, Emiliano Dominguez, Adam Seit, Thomas Tassone.
