Bruce Springsteen may sing about fires, but his son, Sam, will be the one fighting them.
Fire departments across the area welcomed new members following the graduation of 42 trainees, including Springsteen's 20-year-old son, from the Monmouth County Fire Academy on Tuesday, Jan. 14 and Wednesday, Jan. 15.
The graduates included three from Colts Neck: Brendan T. Murch, Michael M. Biyad and Sam R. Springsteen. In addition, Joseph O. Nappi joined the Morganville Independent Fire Company in Marlboro.
Sam's mother, musician Patti Scialfa, shared an Instagram photo of her son in uniform and wrote, "My youngest son, Sam, graduated from Monmouth County Fire Academy tonight. #Proud #OurFamilyHero."
Classes 100 and 101 officially completed their training in areas including rescue, fire extinguishment, hazmat and CPR with graduation ceremonies at the Route 33 facility.
Each class also had one member receive the Ronald Fitzpatrick Award, named for a former instructor who died in 2003. The winner for Class 100 is new Shrewsbury Hose Company member Evan D. Tyler, while Timothy J. Smigelsky received the honor for Class 101. The full list of graduates can be found below.
Freeholder John P. Curley congratulated the graduates on their accomplishments and thanked them for their impending service. “You will answer the call and place your lives on the line to save someone else’s life and property, because that is what you are trained to do. And you received the best training available from the instructors at this academy.”
Monmouth County Fire Marshal Henry Stryker III also congratulated the new members and said their work is just beginning in the field. “It takes a special type of person to be a firefighter,” he said. “They have to have a passion to do this job. The graduates sitting before us have that passion because they have completed the rigorous training as their first step. Please be safe.”
Applications for the September class are now being accepted.
Firefighter 1 – Class 100
Spencer T. Arnold Manasquan Fire Department
Matthew J. Buttermark East Freehold Fire Company
Michael J. Cook Belmar Fire Department
Douglas E. Granai West Keansburg Fire Company
Milton Latorres Bradley Beach Fire Department
Anthony A. Malgieri Southard Fire Company
Brendan T. Murch Colts Neck Fire Department
Joseph O. Nappi Morganville Independent Fire Company
Jason P. Neff Tinton Falls Fire Company # 1
Scott A. Nokes Neptune Township Fire Department
Robert J. Pahlck Bradley Beach Fire Department
Joshua P. Prevost Keyport Fire Department
Taylor W. Rounds Freehold Township Independent Fire Company
Anthony F. Santiago Freehold Township Independent Fire Company
Bryan A. Sherer Englishtown Fire Department
Ashley N. Truffa Glendola Fire Company
Brian L. Turner Ocean Grove Fire Department
Evan D. Tyler Shrewsbury Hose Company
Michael T. Ventriglio East Freehold Fire Company
Donald L. Warren West Keansburg Fire Company
Firefighter 1 – Class 101
Michael M. Biyad Colts Neck Fire Department
Michael Christie Ramtown Fire Company
John M. DePinto Adelphia Fire Company
Franklin L. Doremus Neptune Township Fire Department
Kenneth J. Evola Gordon’s Corner Fire Company
Alexander Handel Gordon’s Corner Fire Company
Austin J. Knox Belmar Fire Department
Jonathan Michel Neptune Township Fire Department
Steven J. O’Dwyer Keyport Fire Department
Joseph A. Panzarino East Freehold Fire Company
Joseph D. Rich III Farmingdale Fire Department
Dane M. Richards Jr. Eatontown Fire Department
Neil E. Robinson Millstone Township Fire Company
Dale J. Seitz Adelphia Fire Company
Timothy J. Smigelsky Ramtown Fire Company
Robert Snyder New Point Comfort Fire Company
Sam R. Springsteen Colts Neck Fire Department
Edgardo Valera Belmar Fire Department
Christopher R. Villanueva Millstone Township Fire Company
Kevin Weigert Gordon’s Corner Fire Company
Thomas B. Winemiller Jr. Belmar Fire Department
John M. Zuber Freehold Fire Department