Westfield Honors New Firefighters, Promotions At Official Ceremony

WESTFIELD, NJ — The Westfield Fire Department welcomed new members and appointed current staff to new roles on Dec. 19 during an official swearing-in ceremony presided over by Mayor Shelley Brindle.

Each of the members earned their honors based on "a strong commitment to service, professionalism, and the values of this department," Westfield Fire Chief Michael Duelks said. These qualities, according to Duelks, were on display all year during the thousands of emergencies that were responded to by members who maintained a strong focus on their training, readiness, and community protection.

The members of the Westfield Fire Department who were promoted are:

• Battalion Chief Thomas Bottini
• Captain Ryan Dullea
• Captain Michael Sawicki
• Captain Daniel Genovese

The Department swore in the following new firefighters on Dec. 19:

• Corey Menafra
• Christian DeEsposito
• Parker Puglisi
• Benjamin Hasenkopf
• Jonathan Wong
• Jack Clarke
• Theodore "Teddy" Trojan

"Congrats to the 11 firefighters who I had the privilege of swearing in," Brindle said. "With staffing at its highest levels. and a new modern firehouse on the horizon, the future...is very bright!"

Duelks thanked Brindle and pointed out that "her leadership over the past eight years has been instrumental in restoring full staffing, upgrading equipment, expanding training, and securing the future site of a new fire headquarters."

Brindle is being replaced by Jeremy Berman as mayor after her eight years leading Westfield.

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