Eight Firefighters Receive 2010 NYS Honorary Fire Chiefs Association Scholarships
Eight FDNY firefighters received a special holiday gift on Dec. 23, scholarships from the New York State Honorary Fire Chiefs Association (NYSHFCA).
“Sept. 11, 2001, changed the face of this Department,” Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano during the ceremony at FDNY Headquarters. “We now need to be better prepared for anything we face – and by pursuing higher education, these eight members are doing just that.”
This is the fourth year NYSHFCA presented the $2,500 individual scholarships to FDNY members. The recipients were chosen after a rigorous selection process, which included an essay detailing how the degree would be used to contribute to the Department.
The scholarship recipients included: Lt. Matthew Martin, Ladder 147; Lt. Anthony Pasquin, Ladder 2; Lt. Jason Cascone, Engine 332; Lt. Thomas Healy, Engine 92; Firefighter Adam Lynch, Ladder 11; Firefighter Matthew Quinn, Ladder 105; Firefighter Brian McKay, Engine 287; and Firefighter James Sandas, Rescue 2.
“It was easy to choose these guys,” said Michael Hill, President of NYSHFCA.
David J. Gold, Esq., Chairman of the NYSHFCA scholarship program, added, “The Honorary Chiefs Association wanted to do something for the FDNY, and what better than to help them advance their careers?”
Each year, the number of scholarships has increased, from one in the first year to four in 2009.
“There’s no way I’d be able to afford school without this generous gift,” said Lt. Healy, who is studying Fire Emergency Management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Lt. Pasquin, who is in the same course of study at John Jay, said the scholarship will help him finish his degree.
“I’m going to learn what to do to protect the public, my firefighters and myself,” he said. “I couldn’t ask for a better gift.”
Established in 1950, the NYSHFCA is a non-profit organization that supports firefighters and their families in New York City and throughout the state. The group awards several scholarships to children of firefighters annually and sponsors the New York State Honorary Fire Chiefs Medal and the Shelly Rothman Medal, which are awarded each year on FDNY