Montclair Fire Department Has Its First Female Officer

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Fire Department reached a milestone last week, instating its first female officer: Imelda Muench-Puryear.

According to town officials, Muench-Puryear was promoted to lieutenant. She’s the first woman to become an officer with the MFD.

Muench-Puryear became a Montclair firefighter in 1996, and has served as a fire inspector with the department. She is a graduate of Montclair State University (1983) and the Rome Free Academy in New York (1978).

During a swearing-in ceremony, Muench-Puryear joined a pair of colleagues who also earned promotions. According to Montclair officials:

• Robert Pizzuti was promoted to battalion chief. He has been with the MFD since 1981 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1998, then to captain in 2008. The Pizzuti family has been in township public safety service for many years. Battalion Chief Pizzuti is a second-generation firefighter at the department. His father is former Fire Chief Robert Pizzuti Sr., who retired from the force in 2000. Robert Pizzuti III, the battalion chief’s son, is currently a firefighter with the department and former Montclair Deputy Chief of Police Tracy Frazzano is his sister.
• John Grapes was promoted to Captain. Captain Grapes is a third-generation Montclair firefighter. He is the son of retired Deputy Chief Ronald Grapes (2000) and his grandfather, Hugh Grapes, retired as a captain in 1979. Captain Grapes joined the department in 1990 and was promoted to lieutenant in 2007.

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