BFE to honor Brown and O’Hagan

The Baldwin Foundation for Education, a non-profit organization of alumni and friends of the Baldwin public schools, will honor Jerry Brown and Mary Jo O’Hagan at its Spring Celebration on Saturday, April 9, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Baldwin High School. This is an opportunity for family and friends of Jerry and Mary Jo and the residents of our town to acknowledge their outstanding contributions to the community and students of the Baldwin School District.

Jerry Brown is a highly respected member of the community and veteran firefighter in the Baldwin District. He is an alumnus of Baldwin, Class of ’70, and settled down here to raise his family. As a young man Jerry joined the Baldwin Fire Department. During his 38 years as a volunteer he has served the department in many capacities such as eight-time Captain for Ladder Company 2, Emergency Medical Technician since 1974 and as a Career Fire District Supervisor since 1976. As a testament to his competency, Jerry serves as a certified instructor and trainer in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York State and for the National Fire Academy.

For two decades Jerry has been the School Safety Liaison for the Baldwin School District. Through his foresight on safety procedures for students and faculty he authored the “Operation S.P.E.E.D.” program (Schools Safety Emergency Evacuations Drill). This program was adopted by the New York State Education Department as the model for schools across the state.

During his distinguished career Jerry has received many awards including department citations, EMS Award of Excellence, Fireman of the Year from the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County and numerous meritorious service awards. Jerry even operated under extreme personal risk at Ground Zero for several days following the terrorist attack on 9/11, and has given countless hours in community service for the men and women serving in the armed forces.