Clifton Journal
CLIFTON – The City’s Fire Department went through demotions and layoffs and finally promotions, all in the span of two months.
On Monday 11 members of Fire Department were officially promoted, just two days after laid off firefighters returned to their jobs and one day after Fire Station 2 was reopened.
In order to trim the budget, the City had laid off 12 firefighters, demoted several officers and closed Fire Station 2 on Dumont Avenue in March. The City’s fire union re-negotiated with the City and agreed to work without pay for two weeks to bridge the $8 million budget deficit in exchange for firefighters returning to work, the firehouse reopening and positions left open through retirements filled.
Just before Monday’s promotion ceremony at Clifton City Hall, one firefighter said: "It’s a joyous day."
During the ceremony Joseph Verderosa was sworn in as the department’s new Fire Chief after serving as acting chief for several months. Henry Cholewczynski and Norman Tahan were promoted to deputy fire chief, while Nicholas Marchisello and Robert Hoogmoed moved up to the rank of captain.
The ceremony was rounded off with firefighters William Ricci, Michael Rowan, Michael Montague, William LeGates, Gregory Zahne and Christopher Botta being promoted to fire lieutenant.
The promotions were conducted in front of friends and family members who filled the room. Mayor James Anzaldi along with City Manager Al Greco were in attendance.
Clifton Municipal Clerk Barbara Nagy administered the oath to those being promoted.
During a brief speech, newly-sworn in Chief Verderosa thanked a number of people, including his wife Glenna, his daughter Lee, who pinned his new badge onto his uniform, his mother and late father, where he became emotional, saying: "I told myself this wasn’t going to happen."
Verderosa also thanked Anzaldi, Greco and FMBA Local 21 President Robert DeLuca for doing "everything to make this come together."
Newly-sworn in Lt. Michael Montague, whose promotion scheduled for last November was postponed due to the layoffs, said: "I feel great."
Tahan said he was on the verge of retirement when he learned he would be promoted. "I’ve been here 30 years and if I didn’t get promoted, I’d probably have been retired by July," he said.
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