By Eden Stratton
The Record
TROY, N.Y. — Ten new firefighters are joining Troy’s force after they recently completed rigorous training and graduated, making the department at full capacity, Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello said.
While the department is at full capacity now, Mantello said with the new year there will be retirements which will affect numbers. However, she said the city has made crucial investments for the department — the city added four new positions, paying for overtime and supporting EMT services.
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“Graduating 10 (firefighters), is a huge step forward, and our firefighters are also EMTs, emergency personnel, so they actually attend Hudson Valley courses all throughout the year,” Mantello said. “Public safety is critical, and we’re going to do everything humanly possible to provide those tools, the equipment, and the workforce that our fire department needs to get the job done.”
The training program went in-house a few years ago, Mantello said, and the impact has been immense for recruits since. Increased camaraderie between instructors and recruits have led to better outcomes, she added.
“You can only imagine the firefighters being trained by their mentors, by their colleagues, and so there’s (an impact) of that camaraderie and just the family atmosphere starts from day one,” she said. “It’s fortunate that we’ve been able to do that and we continue building upon it.”
Mantello said Troy serves as a model for surrounding communities’ departments in regard to their ambulance services, which she credited to continued city investment into the department. She added that other municipalities also send their recruits to Troy’s firefighting program — during the recruit’s graduation ceremony, the academy also honored three additional recruits who will serve as full-time firefighters in the City of Rensselaer and the City of Saratoga.
“We were one of the first city-run ambulances in the state back in the 90s, so it’s a really big deal, and other munis look at us as a model now,” Mantello said.
Mantello said the impact of the new graduates will be insurmountable. She added that she’s seen the importance of fire rescue squads personally, not only as mayor, but as a mother herself.
“My younger son has epilepsy, among other special needs and complications, and I have had to call 911 various times,” she said. “I have seen our firefighters firsthand in action — they are second to none. We are a model for other communities. When folks are running away from danger and running out of homes, our firefighters are running into homes to put fires out.”
During the recruit’s graduation ceremony, the academy also honored three additional recruits who will serve as full-time firefighters in the City of Rensselaer and the City of Saratoga.
The city also is supporting the construction of a new firehouse, which Mantello said will significantly improve readiness and response.
“There was a very preliminary design of the fire house, it was very outdated,” she said. “We did find out that we had to do an environmental phase I. We completed that. Fast forward, we are now in the final design. It will be going out to bid very soon, and we will be breaking ground in 2026 and it will be up in 2027.”
Mantello commended the firefighter recruits for their hard work, and expressed the importance of their service to the community. She added that once the new firehouse is constructed, it’ll have a positive impact on both the firefighters it houses, as well as the city itself.
“It’s going to be huge,” she said. “Our job here is to have long-term investment … (I) look at it as a great investment into that neighborhood into the city long-term, and really be a catalyst for growth.”
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