APPTS & PROMOTIONS

Appointment / Promotional History

1890 & 1895: At its origins (partially and then fully paid department) promotions were intradepartmental (and political) decisions - no formal testing required.

August 2, 1910: Captain Charles Nolan, brother-in-law of Mayor Andrew McBride of Engine 7, becomes acting Chief Officer - Was nepotism at play?

Morning Call - Courtesy Dennis Morrison

April 24, 1912: Morning Call published PFD vacation schedules

Courtesy Dennis Morrison

May 11, 1912: Ten Firefighters appointed

October 19, 1912: with their probationary period over, the following were made permanent on November 1, 1912:

Chiefs

Chief Thomas Coyle
Battalion Chief Ernest Fields
Battalion Chief Charles Nolan

Captains

Lieutenants

John Gaynor
John Cluney
James Sweeney
John Crowley
James McQuirk
Frank Boyle

Peter Breen
John Brady
William Bloom
Thomas Hunt
Andrew Knauss

Paterson News - Courtesy Dennis Morrison

December 22, 1912: Civil Service Law becomes operative and thereafter all appointments and promotions required testing

March 29, 1913: 8 FF were the first to pass a civil service test. 26 of 36 men who took the exam failed.

Courtesy Dennis Morrison

Click on photos below for FF identification (no photo of Wm Dale)

October 13, 1913: Frank Dowdall and William Walsh are the first firemen appointed under the Civil Service Law. Dowdall ultimately became a Battalion Chief. Vineis was appointed December 16, 1913, Hickerson March 1, 1914, Dale and Haycock on April 1, 1914, Lawless on June 1, 1914 and Westphal on July 16, 1914.

September 19, 1914: Promotions

Morning Call - Courtesy Dennis Mortrison

June 24, 1915: 3rd BC appointed: 1st Battalion at Headquarters, 2nd Battalion at Engine 9 on Main street (using horse pulled gig) and the 3rd BC to operate out of one of the Riverside houses (using autocar).

John Specht

Morning Call - Courtesy Dennis Morrison

December 22, 1922: James Sweeney promoted to Battalion Chief, Peter Rege as a Captain and Matthew O'Neill as a FF. Sweeneys and O'Neill's fathers were Paterson firemen and sadly both J Sweeney & M. O'Neill made the Supreme Sacrifice in 1938 at Quackenbush Warehouse Fire

Morning Call - Courtesy of Dennis Morrison

Captain Peter Rege - Truck 1

Matthew O'Neill

February 21, 1923:

Guardian - Courtesy Dennis Morrison

1925 Civil Service Appointment Letter

Dayspring Collection

June 24, 1925: Herbert Van Kirk a Captain and George Walls and Gary Jensen appointed as firemen

Morning Call - Courtesy Dennis Mortrison

April 24, 1926: 32 firefighters pass Captain's Test - Because of the Depression era only the first five were promoted. John Devenport & Marinus Baker later made the Supreme Sacrifice Frank Dowdall eventually became a Battalion Chief and John Lawless went on to be Master Mechanic

Courtesy Dennis Morrison - Press Guardian

August 10, 1927: James Sweeney appointed as Deputy Chief. Meyer Jaffe was secretary to Board of Fire and Police Commission. Sweeney would make Supreme Sacrifice at 1938 Quackenbush Warehouse Fire

Dayspring Collection

June 2, 1938: Dinner ceremony for promotion of Joseph Carr to Captain

Morning Call - Courtesy Dennis Morrison

November 22, 1941: Joseph Bray (appointed 1923) rose to rank of Deputy Chief and served as Acting Chief of department for a year after the death of Chief Strathearn in 1959. Here is a letter of advocacy for his promotion to Captain in 1941.

Dayspring Collection

1942: New Captains Ray Thompson, Joseph Bray, Herbert Dodds, Lester Reiche (Supreme Sacrifice) and Deputy Chief James Troy (later Chief Engineer) with Mayor Furrey

March 1, 1943: Clipping from the Morning Call on February 3, announcing PFD appointments: Theodore Tice, Albert Horomanski, Leo Fitzsimmons and Francis Moore. Joseph Leitner was granted a military leave of absence. Tice and Fitzsimmons went on to become Assistant Chiefs, Horomanski a Captain and Leitner a Chief's Aide.

Click on photos below to enlarge

November 1947: First Captains Civil Service list after WWII (pages 1 & 2)

Dayspring Collection

December 1, 1947: News photo below shows the 11 new Captains

Dayspring Collection

May 19, 1949: 3 new firefighters Anthony Corbo, James O'Neill and Joe Bushnauskas Jr

Bushnauskas Jr., Joseph

October 1. 1949: Battalion Chief appointments: George Walls and Joseph Lester Devenport

Dayspring Collection

George Walls

Lester Devenport

April 11, 1951: Joe Nardella, Ted Tice, Leo Fitzsimmons, and Mike Fleming promoted gto Captain. Donald McKenzie appointed as a FF and Aloysius Lynch (grandson of Supreme Sacrifice FF William Lynch) appointed to police department

Morning Call courtesy Dennis Morrison

February 6, 1953: Civil Service Battalion Chief eligibility List. The top 3 were appointed

Dayspring Collection

Joseph Dayspring

Daniel Carroll

George Peppinghaus

February 13, 1953: Civil Service Deputy Chief List

Dayspring Collection

Joseph Bray

James Chaplain

Walter Titus

Joseph Lester Devenport

February 20, 1953: Promotions for DC, BC, Captains and Chiefs Drivers

Dayspring Collection

January 20, 1954: new PFD appointees before they got their uniforms. Front L-R: Joe McCabe, Patsy Giglio, Anthony Gaita, Frank Bergen, Russ Redmond, Frank Havryluke. Back row L-R: Edward Gulacz, Ed Hancock Jr., Frank Mancinelli (who later made the supreme sacrifice), Elmer White, Anthony La Raia.

January 20, 1954 hires before getting uniforms: Leon Sopuch (the father), Leo Quigley, Don Salmanowitz, Carmine Caposella, Alfred Gallagher, Vincent Mandara. Back row L-R: William McMasters, John Toth, Robert O'Neill, Allan De Ritter, Henry Kettmann, John Bachetti, James Johnstone

Morning Call - Courtesy Dennis Morrison

January 25, 1955: Walter "Lester" Titus appointed to Deputy Chief

August 15, 1957: Fire and Police Commissioners announce purchase of 5 new FWD pumpers, permanent appointment of Police Chief Murphy and 3 new Battalions Chiefs: Leo Fitzsimmons, Gerard Dugan and Michael Fleming with Acting Chief Joseph Bray presiding.

Morning Call - Courtesy Dennis Morrison

September 12, 1957: Celebration for newly promoted Battalion Chief Gerard Dugan

October 15, 1957: Dinner for two new Battalion Chiefs. Chief Kane's father was a Paterson Tax Assessor and head of the purchasing board

Morning Call - Courtesy Dennis Morrison

April 15, 1958: Dinner for newly appointed Battalion Chief Ted Tice

March 1, 1960 appointments: including future Assistant Chief Joe Forbes. Laurens Jansen resigned from the job & re-enlisted in the Marine Corps. Spent a couple tours in Vietnam. Received several decorations. Retired with the rank of major.

Morning Call February 11 - Courtesy Dennis Morrison

May 1960 Selection of Chief Engineer

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March 20,1968: Captain Promotions

Morning Call - Courtesy Dennis Morrsion

March 1, 1970: DC Albert Capter advanced to Assistant Chief

December 1969: New group of firefighters, appointed November 1, 1969 receive official swearing ceremony at City Hall. Included is Paterson's first Puerto Rican FF, Avelino Fernandez.

E McCran Collection

February 17, 1970: Promotions of Joseph C Bakanauskas. Joseph A Dougherty and Charles S Walker to Deputy Chief

Joseph C Bakanauskas

Joseph A Dougherty

Charles S Walker

1972: Captain swearing in Ceremony Mayor Arthur Dwyer: Top row Bob Gabriel, Norman Morley, Dominic Cotroneo, Dennis Diguglielmo, Frank Giordino, Frank Crampton
2nd row John Elwood, Joe Pelligrino, Carl Larson, Jim Tasca, John Minardi
Bottom row Bill Shortway, Jack Gregg, Ed Hancock (being promoted to Deputy Chief) , John Mauro, Terry Pelligrino

October 1977: note the error in the clip below: The Earl Plavier who was appointed in 1949 was was the Uncle of the Earl Plavier who was being promoted to Captain on this date

Courtesy Edward Allen

April 1, 1985: Walter Bitner, John Daly Jr., Joseph Douglas, Marty Krupinski, Lee Mondelli.

L-R: Joe Douglas, Walter Bitner, John Daly Jr, Lee Mondelli, Marty Krupinski

Marty Krupinski and John Daly Jr

Lee Mondelli, Marty Krupinski, Walter Bitner

Marty Krupinski and Walter Bitner

Mayor Graves administering the oath

Chief Comer

January 30, 2002: Captains Promotion - (L-R) Chris Babcock, Robert Stemmler, Eddie Leogrande, Michael Fleming, Brian Rathbone, John Hensz

March 24, 2003: Swearing-in Ceremony at city Hall (courtesy Captain William Taylor)

March 24, 2003: Deputy Chief swearing in ceremony with Mayor Torres. L-R: Chief James Pasquariello, Mayor, and 4 new deputies- Scott MacGilvray, John Duffy, Michael Postorino(future Chief of Department), Kevin Hancock. At far right are parents of DC K Hancock (Retired DC Edward Hancock and his wife Jospehine).

Marty Pelta photo

Captain promotions: L-R: FF Joseph Henderson, retired captain William Henderson, and new captains William Henderson, William Mee, Robert Poloniak, Michael D'Arco, Charles Onorato, William Taylor. To the far right is FF Steve D'Arco.

Marty Pelta photo

FF Joe Henderson, Captain William R. Henderson, retired, William Henderson Jr, William Mee, Robert Poloniak, Michael D'Arco, Charles Onorato, Steven D'Arco (back row, not promoted), William Taylor

Courtesy William Taylor

November 21, 2003: Madison Avenue Firehouse - Battalion Chiefs promotional ceremony L-R: new BC Edward Olszewski, new BC Martin Krupinski, Chief James Pasquariello, DC (executive officer) Scott MacGilvray, new BC Peter Crampton, new BC Chris Ricciardi, and new BC Joseph A. Murray.