Ten new firefighters serving North Hudson

Ten new recruits joined the ranks of North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue (NHRFR), and six officers were promoted during a ceremony at Schuetzen Park in North Bergen.
The agency fights fires in five local towns: North Bergen, Guttenberg, Union City, West New York, and Weehawken.
“The new hires, who come from all over the state, are going to protect over 200,000 people in five communities,” said Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, also the NHRFR board chairman, in addressing the packed room. Many family members as well as firefighters from neighboring municipalities attended the formal swearing-in ceremony.
North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue was established in 1999 to serve the Guttenberg, North Bergen, Union City, Weehawken, and West New York region. It was established as a single entity to replace the separate fire departments that previously served the individual towns. There are currently 15 NHRFR firehouses serving the region.
“When we regionalized, the five mayors made a commitment that we would make this the best organization in the state,” said North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco. He and Turner are the only two mayors still in office since regionalization took effect.
“Our area’s much bigger today than it was when we regionalized,” he noted. “There was no waterfront. A lot of development has taken place.”

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“The new hires, who come from all over the state, are going to protect over 200,000 people in five communities.” –Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner
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He went on to point out that NHRFR has been called upon to assist other communities, such as Edgewater during the devastating Avalon fire earlier this year.
“It’s an extremely good job,” Turner told the new recruits. “It’s a great experience. You will put your lives on the line every day when you go out and fight a fire. Our commitment is the best equipment, the best leadership that we can provide.”
The ten new firefighters are John Dolaghan, Jerry Zapata, Michael Conroy, Lou Jester Q. Isip, Glen Harney, Robert Manzari II, Vincent Vassallo, Koi Kirk, Thomas McDonough, and Keith Sockell.
This brings the department to about 275 firefighters.
The six officers promoted are Michael Falco to deputy chief; Daniel Fresse to battalion chief; and Terence Shevlin, Richard Barreres, William Reed, and William Shelton, all to the rank of captain.
Also speaking at the event and offering their congratulations and support were Guttenberg Mayor Gerald Drasheff, West New York Commissioner Gabriel Rodriguez, and Union City Commissioner Maryury Martinetti.

Art Schwartz may be reached at arts@hudsonreporter.com.