IFD promotions made at mayor’s annual address

Photo by Chris Sykes
From left, Irvington Fire Division IAFF Local 305 President Alex Lima stands with Lt. Mike Scott outside Christian Pentecostal Church on Friday, Feb. 23, after Mayor Tony Vauss’ fourth annual State of the Township Address. Scott and several other Irvington firefighters were officially promoted at the ceremony. He also served as the Irvington Fire Division FMBA president and Lima’s vice president.IRVINGTON, NJ — Mayor Tony Vauss and Public Safety Department Director Tracy Bowers officially promoted three deputy chiefs, five captains and 13 lieutenants of the Irvington Fire Division at the mayor’s fourth annual State of the Township Address in Christian Pentecostal Church on Friday, Feb. 23.

According to Irvington Fire Chief Antonio Gary, who attended the event, the full list of Irvington Fire Division promotees includes deputy chiefs John Durish, Joseph Delsordo and Michael Torsiello; captains Joseph DeLorme, John Horbacewicz, Craig Spirko, Evan Jones and Patrick LaGuerre; and lieutenants Kevin Franz, Peter Laimann, Patrick Donaghy, Glenn Sheaffer, Louis Ferdinandi, Kevin Daniels, Peter Sykes, Danny Cruz, Keith McKoy, Michael Scott, William Childs, Ronald O’Dowd and Carmine Martignetti.

“At this time, I would like to take this time to agree with the county executive about being the best in the state of New Jersey. Thank you very much. But, as a team, like you said, I couldn’t do it alone,” said Bowers on Friday, Feb. 23 as he asked the members of the police and fire divisions’ command staff to stand to be acknowledged by the audience. “We have a slogan, ‘Clean and Safe.’ I’m still trying to get the mayor to put ‘safe’ first, but we’re going to work on that. So with the Police Department, people don’t know that, last year, in 2016, we had achieved the lowest amount of crime since 1977. In 2017, we had the second lowest amount of crime since 1977. The difference between those two years are 57 crimes, so we are doing something right.”

Bowers said crime statistics don’t lie and the numbers from 2016 and 2017 show that “we are doing something tremendously right.” He also said that the 17 new Irvington Police Division recruits and three new transfers from the East Orange Police Department are proof the Vauss administration is putting the “safe” in the mayor’s “Clean and Safe” slogan.

“Safer means a better community, in all possible ways,” Bowers said. “So mayor, thank you for selecting me to be your public safety director. I want to thank you for these promotions. These promotions are going to allow us to continue to provide superior public safety services to our residents and we appreciate that. So thanks again, mayor.”

Deputy Director John Brown is the fire service expert in the Public Safety Department, providing the balance for Bowers’ police and law enforcement background. Brown, Bowers and Gary were all in attendance at the swearing-in of the Fire Division professionals.

“It an honor and privilege to be here, to represent these men and women of the Public Safety Department at this State of the Township Address and now promotional part of the ceremony,” said Brown, a retired Newark firefighter, at the event. “I would like to thank the mayor and council for making this possible and for keeping their commitment to a safer and cleaner Irvington. I’d like to say, mayor, as a resident and homeowner here for over 25 years, I would like to publicly say to you that you have me and my family’s unwavering support for your 2018 re-election bid.”

Brown went on to note that: “I hear Councilwoman Dr. October Hudley say this all the time and I just heard Adenah Bayoh and, with a joyful, joyful heart, I can say: ‘God, I love Irvington.’ And it’s because of you, mayor. Thank you for having that vision and not just for having that vision but seeing it through. I’d like to say congratulations to all of the promotees and I’d like to say, to all the other members in Public Safety, keep up the good work, because, as you see, your hard work does not go unnoticed.”

Gary was equally thankful.

“To our mayor and council, all the dignitaries from the different municipalities that come out to support us, I say thank you. This is a clear example of how the ‘Clean and Safe’ slogan and ‘One Team One Dream’ functions because we’re all in this together, as we participate and help each other,” he said. “To my promotees, let me say to you that, during this month of February, which is Black History Month, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take the quote, something that I live by, from our famous Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King says, in his words, ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.’

“In our line of profession, public safety, we’re going to deal with a lot of challenges and controversy, but it’s how you deal with them and how we come out to ensure that we make sure that the residents of Irvington are safe. So I say to you, as you take these weights of my command staff, my deputy chiefs, as represented by the three stripes; my captains, by your two stripes; my lieutenants, by your one stripes — I can’t do this without you. You’re an extension of this administration and we rally together and we support each other. So I say congratulations for all that you do. United we stand, divided we fall. … So to the mayor, once again, I say thank you. To everyone else, I say thank you, God bless.”