New Acting Fire Chief Is Part Of 3 Generations Who Served Jersey City FD

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Stephan Drennan was recently appointed to the position of acting fire chief in New Jersey’s largest municipal Fire Department, the city of Jersey City announced Friday.

"To date, the Drennan legacy spans three generations, including 17 members of the family collectively serving the JCFD" for decades, the city said, including Stephan’s father, son, uncles, and cousins.

Since joining the Jersey City Fire Department (JCFD) in 1982, Drennan has served the Jersey City community where he was born and raised, the city said.

“The Drennan family has a long and proud history of service throughout Jersey City, and I have no doubt that Stephan Drennan will continue to lead our great fire department at the highest standard we have worked so hard to achieve,” said Mayor Steven Fulop. “Stephan’s appointment is a testament to his dedication to the fire service and protecting our community over the past four decades where he has gone above and beyond the call of duty.”

This announcement follows the retirement of Chief Steven McGill, who served on the Jersey City Fire Department for over 35 years, including his last five years as chief.

In 2022, the JCFD responded to over 14,000 calls for service, the city said.

“I am honored and humbled for the opportunity to lead the best fire department in New Jersey,” said Acting Chief Drennan. “When my father was hired as a firefighter in 1959, the year I was born, never did my family imagine a Drennan would one day be appointed to the role of Fire Department chief. I know it is an awesome responsibility, and I hope to pay tribute to my father and uncles, all of whom were Army Veterans born and raised in Jersey City. They blazed the way for me, my son, and all 10 of my cousins. We stand on their shoulders.”

The city said Drennan "has extensive qualifications in all special operations ranging from Structural Collapse Rescue Specialist to Swift Water Rescue Operations and everything in between. He also reached top rank as Rescue Manager and was most recently a Lead Instructor for New Jersey Task Force 1. Notably, Drennan spent 15 years as the Rescue Company One Captain and 5 years as the Fourth Battalion Chief. As a Deputy Chief, he served as the Chief of Training before earning this latest promotion."

The New Jersey Civil Service test to appoint a permanent Fire Department chief is currently pending.