Instructor Of The Year

Two faculty members at the Suffolk County Fire Academy have been named “Instructor of the Year.” The annual awards honor instructors  who displayed exemplary dedication and the highest teaching standards at the Fire Academy. The winners are chosen by the executive staff and supervisors who work with the instructors on a daily basis.

Jack Gibson Award

Deputy Chief Mark Miller received the Jack Gibson Award for his dedication to field training at the Fire Academy. He dedicates a  tremendous amount of time to his position and willingly tackles any job that is assigned to him. Chief Miller is also one of the instructors who conducts pump tests for the engines of the county’s fire departments. Mark’s mechanical skills help keep the testing equipment accurately running. He is a life long member of the Central Islip Fire Department and a retired member of the Fire Department of the City of New York. Jack Gibson would be proud to know that Mark continues to exemplify the standards expected of the instructors at the Fire Academy.

 Al Nemecek Award

Deputy Chief Ed Irving received the Al Nemecek Award. Chief Irving has spent 13 years with the Fire Academy, instructing students in the highly skilled areas of Heavy Rescue, Hazardous Materials Response, and Technical Rescue. Ed is a longtime member and past chief of the Greenlawn Fire Department and is a Suffolk County police officer with the Emergency Services Unit, where he coordinates much of their specialized training. His dedication to training, excellence and service to the Fire Academy shows that he truly deserved the award.