FDNY Foundation Recognizes Most Recent Class of Scholarship Recipients

Above: Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro, Chief of Department James E. Leonard and FDNY Foundation Board Chairman Stephen L. Ruzow stand with Fall 2016 scholarship recipients.

On Tuesday, March 21st, the FDNY Foundation hosted its FDNY scholarship ceremony to recognize Fall 2016 scholarship recipients for their educational achievements. The FDNY Foundation provides scholarships to nearly 200 uniformed members annually, for college courses related to health and fire science. During the past ten years, the FDNY Foundation has funded more than $2 million in scholarships for Firefighters, Paramedics, and EMTs.

“Over the last few years, we have seen an increase in the number of our members pursuing college degree programs. That’s a great thing for these individuals, and for our Department as a whole,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro. “These scholarships will help ease the financial burden that comes with pursuing a degree, and it will make it easier for our members to study and advance, while still performing their critical work for the city, each and every day.”

“Attending school while working full-time and caring for a family is challenging, and we commend each of the scholarship recipients for investing their time in developing themselves. Every hour spent on education, every course taken, allows members to broaden their perspectives and work more effectively,” said Chief of Department James E. Leonard. “Scholarship recipients and all members pursuing advanced education are not only moving themselves along but also strengthening the entire Department.”

“The FDNY Foundation is proud to fund this program for Firefighters, Paramedics, and EMTs who want to advance their education and move up the ranks. Providing scholarships for FDNY members benefits everyone: the Department, its employees and all the residents and visitors of New York City,” said FDNY Foundation Board Chairman Stephen L. Ruzow. “The Department benefits by having a highly qualified pool of candidates for promotions, who will become the next generation of leaders within the Department.  These improvements make our City even safer and ultimately save more lives.”

Captain Evan Suchecki of EMS Operations and Captain James Saccente of Engine 275 also spoke on behalf of the scholarship recipients.  “On behalf of my brothers and sisters in the FDNY, I would like to thank the FDNY Foundation for providing assistance to help members reach our educational and long-term career goals,” shared Captain Suchecki. “By making these scholarships available to us, we are obtaining the knowledge and credentials we need to become the next leaders of the FDNY.”

“I want to thank the FDNY Foundation donors for supporting this scholarship fund and the educational goals of FDNY members, on behalf of all the scholarship recipients,” said Captain Saccente. “This scholarship assistance helps those of us aspiring to move up in the ranks and is a much-needed boost to help fulfill our goals.”

Captain Mark Guerra emceed the ceremony at FDNY headquarters in Brooklyn. Other training and education initiatives made possible by FDNY Foundation support include the nationally-recognized FDNY Officers Management Institute (FOMI), two annual conferences, leadership development retreats, and the FDNY Pro training websites and publications.

To learn more about other programs that the FDNY Foundation sponsors, click here.