A badge pinning ceremony for four members of the Stockton Fire Department will take place for the promotion of three Fire Captains and a Firefighter Engineer on Saturday, February 20, 2016, at 3:30pm. The ceremony will be held at the Firefighter Memorial statue in McLeod Lake Park, across from City Hall, at the southwest corner of Center and Fremont Streets. This ceremony is open to family, friends, and the public.
The promotions of Captains Aaron Reisinger, Rossi Zaragoza and Kevin Chase and Firefighter Engineer Jacob Yeager will be celebrated with a ceremony that acknowledges their careers and contributions to the Stockton Fire Department.
Captain Reisinger has been with the Stockton Fire Department for approximately 8 years. Captain Zaragoza has been with the Department for 12 years, and Captain Chase has been with the Department for 9 years. All three Captains fill open positions covering the entire city of Stockton and County areas served by the Stockton Fire Department. Firefighter Engineer Yeager has been a Firefighter for over 12 years and works on Truck 2, responding to calls downtown, as well as other areas in the southwest portion of Stockton.
A Captain is the commander of the crew at an incident where there is a call for service. The daily responsibilities of a Captain include managing activities for the Fire Company including, in-service training for Firefighters and Firefighter Engineers, engine responses to fires and emergency medical calls, hydrant inspections, practice fire drills for schools, and the general operation of the fire house.
Firefighter Engineer are Firefighters who have been with the department a minimum of 3.5 years and have applied for and passed the test for the position. Those selected have received top scores on exams involving calculations and techniques related hydraulics, technical aspects of equipment and apparatus, and ladder placement. The role of a Firefighter Engineer is deployment and calculation for volume, pressure and flow of water hoses or other flame suppression chemicals, driving the Fire Engines or Trucks, and review and maintenance of all equipment and apparatus.
“We are holding the ceremony on Saturday to include those being honored and as many of their friends, family and co-workers as possible,” said Chief Erik Newman. “We encourage members of the public to join us in this recognition of their accomplishments. We are extremely proud of these men, and the entire department. These are occasions that should be celebrated.”