FDNY Promotion Ceremony at St. John’s University

On Monday, the FDNY hosted a promotion ceremony for 84 EMS members at St. John’s University.

Among those honored was Jonathan Rivera, who recently earned his degree after dropping out of high school at 16. He is now a proud father of three and was one of just three individuals promoted to captain during the event.

At 40, Rivera has already garnered recognition for his contributions; he received two medals in 2019 for his work with Special Operations Command, particularly in rescue hygiene medicine.

One notable rescue occurred in 2018 when he helped NYPD officer Gary Williams, who found himself stuck in the mud while fishing.

“He decided to go fishing during lunch with a new rod, but he didn’t realize it had rained the night before, and he ended up sinking into the marsh,” Rivera explained.

The ceremony celebrated 84 EMS members who were promoted. Additionally, it acknowledged 63 EMTs who successfully completed the Basic Paramedic Program.

“My partner and I created a makeshift bridge using boards and ropes,” Rivera recounted. “We reached him just before he was completely submerged. He was already waist-deep, but luckily, he managed to access his phone.”

In another instance, Rivera intervened in 2019 when a man was hit by a freight train at Hunts Point.

“He required multiple tourniquets and IV fluids, and unfortunately, he lost a leg,” Rivera noted. “To reach him, firefighters had to cut through a fence and use harnesses to climb onto a docked train.”

After his tenure as a rescue hygienist, Rivera transitioned to an instructional role at Special Operations Command, where he now leads an EMS competition team that competes globally.

The promotion ceremony included a new vice chief, three captains promoted from the EMT ranks, 17 paramedics promoted to EMTs, and the graduation of 63 EMTs from the Basic Paramedic Program.