Fire Commissioner Presents Annual 2016 FDNY Administrative Medals and Awards

December 1, 2016

On Thursday, December 1st, Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro presided over the annual FDNY Administrative Medals and Awards ceremony at FDNY Headquarters. 16 medals and awards were presented to Firefighters, EMS personnel, Fire Marshals, Fire Inspectors, Medical Officers and civilian employees.

“This annual event is a chance for all of us to say thank you to many of the women and men in bureaus throughout the FDNY whose outstanding contributions have shown why our Department continues to set the standard for all others to follow,” said Commissioner Nigro. “Each of you is being honored this morning because you contributed to make our Department better, stronger, and more efficient.”

Chief of Department James E. Leonard underscored the integral roles civilian and uniformed personnel play to help first responders get the job done.

“Protecting a city this large and responding more than 1.7 million times takes a tremendous team of extraordinary people,” said Chief Leonard. “The common thread throughout the FDNY – whether you’re a first responder or in an administrative position – is dedication.”

Of the 16 awardees and medal recipients, Jomar Pichardo received the Honorary Chief of Department Jack Lerch Medal. The Jack Lerch Medal is presented to a uniformed or civilian member of the Bureau of Fleet Services (BFS) for outstanding service. Mr. Pichardo has supported the Department by serving in BFS for more than three years. Thanks to his ingenuity and savvy engineering craftsmanship, he has saved FDNY nearly $700,000 by rebuilding and restoring costly ambulance components. Mr. Pichardo also created a “Restoration Room” which helps BFS refurbish and reuse a variety of vehicle parts from numerous vehicle manufacturers, which has saved the Department approximately $60,000.

Mr. Pichardo highlights the significance of receiving managerial support from the Department. “If it wasn’t for management’s support, I wouldn’t have been able to put this together. I really appreciate everything that management has done to get this all going,” said Mr. Pichardo.

Additional awardees and recipients include, a team of medical professionals whose work to treat patients suffering from coronary events has been recognized nationally; a professional engineer who oversees engineering decisions for fire suppression and alarm systems for the Bureau of Fire Prevention; a Fire Marshal whose tireless investigative work removed a dangerous arsonist from the streets; the community affairs unit which ran a highly successful community engagement initiative to celebrate the Department’s 150th anniversary; and the Haz-Tac Competency Unit, whose members continue to raise the level of specialized medical training our members receive.

The awardees and recipients were joined by their colleagues, family and friends for this congratulatory occasion.

For photos of FDNY's 2016 Administrative Medals and Awards ceremony, click here.

Get a digital copy of the 2016 Administrative Awards Book here.