26 Awards Presented At New Rochelle Fire Department Ceremony

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The New Rochelle Fire Department hosted an Awards Ceremony on Wednesday in City Hall — a special event in that it gave out honors for the past two years.

Fire Chief Andrew Sandor was joined by Mayor Noam Bramson, City Manager Charles Strome, City and Fire Department staff and families as he honored a number of firefighters for their acts of bravery and heroism during the unprecedented years of 2020 and 2021.

The department received more than 16,000 calls over the last two years, officials said.

“I’m extremely proud of our department’s courage, compassion and consistent professionalism - especially during these rough 18 months, working through the pandemic and most recently, Tropical Storm Ida," the chief said. "Our members put themselves on the line every day no matter what is thrown their way."

The ceremony started off by remembering those who lost their lives in the line of duty, including Captain DiMaggio who died in 2020 of COVID-19.

A total of 26 awards, including unit citations and lifesaving awards, were presented to about 80 members representing companies from all five firehouses. Sandor and deputies read narratives detailing each incident, including burning vehicles, collapsed trenches, use of the Lucas CPR device, smoke-filled apartment buildings, cars into buildings, COVID, and foul weather.

Captain Mark Schonherr was given the Fire Commissioner’s award for his hard work and dedication, and Firefighter John Schroeder was presented the 2021 Arthur Luce Klein Award, in recognition for his outstanding work as an event coordinator for the NRFD.

For a full list of the awards and recipients announced at the ceremony, click here.