Buffalo – Mayor Byron W. Brown and Buffalo Fire Commissioner William Renaldo promoted 16 Buffalo firefighters today during a special ceremony at Public School 95 Waterfront Elementary School.
“Let me begin by congratulating our newly-sworn in Fire officers and say how honored I am to convey my appreciation to every single member of this leadership team for the work they do,” said Mayor Brown. “These fire officers represent the best and brightest of the Buffalo Fire Department and it’s my pleasure to promote them to their new ranks, further bolstering the leadership of this great fire department.”
The firefighters were sworn into their new positions by Fire Commissioner Renaldo as family and friends looked on. Matthew Hoare was promoted from the rank of Fire Captain to Battalion Chief. Sean Eagen, Deputy Fire Commissioner Shannon Street and Deputy Fire Commissioner Ramon Suarez, Sr. were promoted from Lieutenant to their new rank of Captain.
Firefighters Andrew Heidinger, Adam Markel, Gregory Lorenc, Justin Sumbrum, Micheal Paveljack, John McKeown, Donald Woodhull, Normal Hillyard, Joshua Korbs, Patrick Herbert, Ramon Suarez, Jr and Aaron Tubbins ascended to the rank of Lieutenant.
Fire Commissioner Renaldo stated, “It’s with great satisfaction that I welcome and congratulate our newest generation of leaders. Your dedication, commitment and passion made this day possible, and I am confident that in your new role you will continue to serve the citizens of our great city with distinction. I also want to recognize and thank our Buffalo Fire Department families, and say thank you for the support, you provided and the sacrifices you made throughout the promotion process”
OF SPECIAL INTEREST AT THE CEREMONY:
The ceremony marked a milestone for a BFD Father-Son duo with deep roots on the firefighting force. Today, Deputy Fire Commissioner and Captain Ramon Suarez, Sr. and his son, Lt. Ramon Suarez, Jr. were promoted at the same time
Among those promoted today was Lt. Patrick Herbert, son of the late Buffalo firefighter Donald Herbert, who made medical headlines when he awoke for a day from a nearly 10 year coma after a roof collapsed on him while fighting a fire in 1996
Today’s promotions continue Mayor Brown’s commitment to establishing an increasingly diverse and talented firefighting force as he continues to equip all emergency responders with the best tools and resources. Since 2006, the Brown Administration has
- Replaced the entire firefighting fleet, and continues to invest in new fire apparatus
- Equipped emergency responders with state-of-the-art equipment and gear
- Trained firefighters on the administration of an overdose reversal medication to help save lives
- Opened three new fire houses since 2006 and will start the design phase of a new fire station in the months to come
Today’s event came just a few days before a new class of Buffalo Fire recruits is sworn in during a special ceremony on August 27, 2018 at 3 pm at Bennett High School, located at 2885 Main Street in Buffalo.