CARMEL – Putnam County’s tradition of volunteerism in the emergency services field is alive and well following the graduation of 36 young firefighters.
A standing room only crowd over the weekend at the Putnam Bureau of Emergency Services Training and Operations Center auditorium in Carmel welcomed the new first responders from Brewster, Carmel, Cold Spring, Garrison, Kent, Lake Carmel, Mahopac, Mahopac Falls, North Highlands, Patterson, Putnam Lake and Putnam Valley who were awarded New York State certificates signifying their completion of the rigorous 100-hour Firefighter One course.
Three dozen new volunteers join the ranks
Putnam’s Commissioner of Emergency Services Ken Clair praised the graduates for their accomplishment and the “dedicated instructors as well for guiding our newest recruits throughout the difficult yet rewarding process.”
Special thanks were offered to instructors Rob McDonald, Chuck Lewis, Justyn Lewis, Chris Brown, Chris Sample, James Gagliardo, Brian Lena, Charles Eberhart and Andrew Roberto.
McDonald described the successfully completed curriculum as the “foundation for firefighting careers. The course taught our graduates the meat and potatoes — skills, knowledge and the proper way to become a firefighter.”
Commissioner Clair joined by his Assistant Commissioner Robert Lipton in addition to State Assemblyman Kevin Byrne and Putnam Legislators Ginny Nacerino of Patterson, Joseph Castellano of Southeast and Paul Jonke of Brewster congratulated the new firefighters for their dedication, determination and community spirit. “We are proud of all of you and remember never stop learning,” said the commissioner.
The Class of 2017 included: Nicholas Neuner, Matthew Puglisi and Ryan Von Dietsch all from the Brewster FD; Daniel Minieri from the Carmel FD; Garrison FD members Zachariah Parks and Adam Kerzner; Kent firefighter Alexander Alers; John Gaffney, Brendan Tully, Richard Duffy from the Lake Carmel FD; Mahopac firefighters Michael Podeia, Robert Kick, Christopher Horan, Justin Morelli, Maxwell Senger, Timothy Stasiak and Kevin Swayne; Casey Stiller, Richard Duffy, Argiro Kavalietatos, Faith Martin and Ellen Nistico all from the Mahopac Falls FD; North Highlands firefighter Jared Wigdor; Sean Terwilliger from the Patterson FD; Putnam Lake FD graduates—Calvin Buccieri, Michael Ercole, Owen Hamm and Michael Isola and Putnam Valley firefighters David Pawlina, Lois Rizzi and Tom Sawyer.
Six young firefighters were also recognized for completing their exterior firefighting degrees including Brian Vanderhoff from Carmel, Matthew Kane from Cold Spring, Rosemarie Nikisher from Mahopac, Gerasimos Kavalieratos from Mahopac Falls, Jeff Wigdor from North Highlands and Frank Sabatini from Patterson.
McDonald called the fire service a “brotherhood that binds around the world. Firefighters from Putnam Valley are always welcome in Paris and emergency first responders from County Cork in Ireland have an open door at fire houses in Carmel or Cold Spring.”
