Monmouth County Fire Academy Graduates 66

For the past 40 years, the Monmouth County Fire Academy has been training firefighters to protect all of Monmouth County. Earlier this week the members of the 92nd and 93rd Firefighter class were recognized in front of a packed room of family and friends for their training accomplishment. 

"The program consisted of 180 hours of training which took place over 14 Saturdays or Sundays and 15 night classes with a homework test provided each night," said Chief William Itinger.  "They had off for holidays but worked through the rain and even snow this year.”

During those 180 hours, each firefighter was trained in search and rescue, ladders, hose operations, fire ground safety, property conservation, disability training, basic forest fire and other areas. 

Each also had to complete a 100-question test from Kean University. Only after passing the test and completing all classroom sessions and all hands on exercises was each undergraduate officially considered certified firefighter. 

The 92nd class added 31 firefighters to Monmouth County while the 93rd class added 35. Of those 31 from the 92nd class, Thomas Moran of Freehold, received his certification to become an official firefighter at the . 

Moran, already a member of the , joined the 92nd Fire Academy Class to increase training for his position on the Freehold Communication Emergency Response Team (CERT). “I wanted to increase my training and be better prepared for my position on the CERT,” said Moran.

A graduate from each class earned an award in honor of Ronald Fitzpatrick, a former instructor at the Fire Academy who died in 2003. The awards went to Jeffrey Daley, Class 92, of the Oakhurst Fire Company in Ocean Township, and Daniel O’Leary, Class 93, of the Point Pleasant Beach #2 Fire Company in recognition of their high test scores

Four classes a year receive their certification to become official firefighters for Monmouth County. With about 35 people in a class, the Monmouth County Fire Academy graduates 140 firefighters a year.

Class 92's graduates are

• Arvel Afflick from East Windsor #2
• Kyle Bauter from Glendola, Wall Township
• Ryan Boyle from Wanamassa Fire Company
• Brett Brahn from Spring Lake Fire Department
• Francis Calabrese from Red Bank Fire Department
• Eric Cantwell from Ridgeway Fire Company
• Matthew Chester from Ridgeway Fire Company
• Travis Ciani from Tinton Falls Fire Company #1
• Kevin Covert from Sea Bright Fire Department
• Zachery Covert from Sea Bright Fire Department
• Michael Crismali from East Windsor #2
• Christopher D'Eufemia from Spring Lake Fire Department
• Jeffery Daley from Oakhurst Fire Company
• Jason Downing from Spring Lake Fire Department
• Sean Edson from Oakhurst Fire Company
• Benjamin Espada from Aberdeen Hose and Chemical #1
• Jason Henry from Allenhurst Fire Department
• Thomas Kacsmar from Glendola Fire Company
• Joshua Kolodziej from Holmdel Fire Rescue #2
• John Kuhlthau from Monmouth Beach Fire Company
• Mark Mancino from Holmdel Fire Rescue #2
• Scott Mason from Spring Lake Fire Department
• Thomas Mayrose from Ridgeway Fire Company
• Thomas Moran from East Freehold Fire Company
• Andrew Murray Jr. from Keansburge Fire Company#1
• Chanin Robilotti from Englishtown
• Eric Sacks from Manalapan Township #1
• Henry Sieminski from Spring Lake Fire Department
• Jake Simon from Sea Bright Fire Department
• Michael Whittet from Gordon's Corner Fire Company
• Ryan Woolf-Sanchez from Holmdel Fire Rescue #2

Class 93's graduates are

• Robert Allen from the Brevent Park Fire Company
• Jonathan Arnburg from Englishtown
• Christian Bailey from Keyport Hook & Ladder
• Brian Conover from the Brevent Park Fire Company
• Kevin Conover from the Brevent Park Fire Company
• Ambrose Cooper IV from Point Pleasant Beach #2
• Arthur Eldridge from the Neptune Fire Department
• Steven Fox from Hazlet #1
• Michael Gregorio from Aberdeen Hose & Chemical
• Andrew Hagenberg from Englishtown
• Uri Halle from Lakewood #3
• John Iorio from South Wall Fire & Rescue
• Thomas Jeleniewski from the Northside Engine Company
• Dylan LaCugna from Englishtown
• Michael Lippolis from Oceanport Hook & Ladder
• Sean Morelli from Melrose Hose #1, Sayreville
• Donald Morse from Fair Haven
• Karr Mullen from the Little Silver Fire Department
• Henry Murphy from West Long Branch
• Robert Murphy from Holmdel Fire Rescue #2
• Salvatore Nesta IV from Hazlet #1
• Daniel O’Leary from Point Pleasant Beach #2
• Christopher Pinto from Gordon’s Corner
• Michael Podolla from Morganville Independent
• Jarrod Rubin South from the Wall Fire & Rescue
• Michael Samuel from Branchport, Long Branch
• Joseph Sary from the Hope Fire Company
• Lucas Schanck from  Hazlet #1
• Joseph Sisk Point from Pleasant Beach #2
• Clayton Smith from Little Silver
• Steven Steger from West Long Branch
• Patrick Thomas from the Morganville Independent
• Tom Verrochi from Oakhurst
• Tyler Whelan from the East Freehold Fire Company
• David Wolf from Lakewood Rescue #2