THE CHIEF-LEADER

41 Upgraded EMS, Fire

Jan 11, 2008

By ARI PAUL

Joan Hillgardner's interest in how cardiac arrest victims are treated dates back at least to 1986, when she and her then-partner in the Emergency Medical Service, John Peruggia (currently the Chief of EMS) successfully resuscitated one such patient.

A former Paramedic in the Quality Assessment and Improvement office, she has presided over EMS's annual Second Chance Ceremony, where Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics are reunited with heart attack victims they successfully resuscitated for the last five years.

'A Gift to Both Parties'

"It's a wonderful event," the 24-year EMS veteran said. "It's a gift to the survivor because they often for the very first time discover details they wouldn't otherwise learn about. I think it's also a gift for the providers because they get to really see the best happy endings to something that could have been less than successful."

Ms. Hillgardner was promoted to EMS Lieutenant Jan. 3, one of 41 members of the Fire Department to advance during a ceremony at the Klitgord Auditorium at New York Technical College in downtown Brooklyn. The FDNY inducted five new Fire Captains, one Supervising Fire Marshal, 15 Fire Lieutenants and 20 EMS Lieutenants into its ranks. While Deputy Assistant Chief Raymond Goldbach, who emceed the event, reminded the audience not to use air horns to support co-workers being promoted, he could not silence the bellows of small children echoing throughout the hall.

"Others are going to look to you for guidance," Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta told the promotees. "And that's a big responsibility.

Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano said their new jobs would be challenging, but also rewarding. He told the new Lieutenants that their transition would be the hardest, as they were moving from followers to leaders. Chief Cassano advised them to follow their instincts and to instill good values in those they lead.

'Always Can Use More'

Also accompanying the department heads on stage during the event were Uniformed Fire Officers Association Vice President James McGowan and Local 3621 of District Council 37 President Thomas Eppinger, who represents EMS officers.

Before the ceremony, Chief Peruggia and Mr. Eppinger remarked to each other that promotion ceremonies for both fire and EMS officers were rare. While glad to see more members in his ranks, Mr. Eppinger said that more were still needed to address staffing shortages.

"We always need more," Chief Peruggia said to Mr. Eppinger, "but Budget won't give it to us."

The new Fire Captains are George Konop, Patrick Gibbons, James Skalkowski, Kevin Anderson and Robert Florio.

James Mahaney is the new Supervising Fire Marshal.

New Lieutenants

The new Fire Lieutenants are Frank Abbatemarco, Thomas Schwizer, Steven Closs, Hugh Boyle, Hugh Duffy, Todd Vetter, Brian Gavan, Brian Garguilo, Mark Meihoefer, Trent Coppolo, Patrick Gorman, Daniel Sterling, Brendan Flynn, Kenneth Knapp and Patrick Keena.

The other EMS Lieutenants besides Ms. Hillgardner are Michelle Robbins, Martha Muriel, Douglas Rondon, Paul Miano, Derrick Simpkins, Michael Mars, Maria Garcia, Michael Potasso, James Dedonato, Kathleen Walsh, Peter Auricchio, James Fallar, John Tims, Brian Smith, Christopher Attanasio, Richard Ruhl, Paul Yunek, Moses Bastien and Kelley Lonergan.

For four weeks the promotees will go through training and then be reassigned. Lieutenant Hillgardner said that while she is unsure what her new duties will be, she is nonetheless excited about them. "I think it's an important step toward gaining new knowledge about the department and the operations," she said of her promotion. "I wanted a career in health care, and I got one."