By Nicole Falco
Second Assistant Chief Joseph Garofalo of Rescue Co. 1 was elected First Assistant Chief, and Brian Howley of Hook and Ladder Co. 1 bested two opponents to be elected Second Assistant Chief.
Former Chief Terrence O' Neil was elected as a three-year representative to the Third Battalion.
Votes were accepted as early as March 30, but the election was completed and the results were announced on April 4. Almost 200 members of the approximately 270-member fire department cast their vote. Mayor Edward Cahill installed the new chiefs and representative.
In keeping with tradition, nominations, other than for Petry and Garofalo, for the offices of chief and first assistant chief were asked for by Cahill, but none were brought forth so Petry and Garofalo ran unopposed in their races and thus advanced their rank.
Petry, a 12-year department veteran and former captain of his company, brings to his new position the insight of having served as a second assistant chief under Chief James Murphy and then as a first assistant chief under Croak. Besides being a volunteer firefighter, Petry works for the Fire Marshall's office.
Last year Garofalo beat three others for the position of second assistant chief. Garofalo, a Nassau County Medical Technician, comes from a family of firefighters. His father, Ronald is a former department chief as is his father-in-law, Skip Grace.
As usual, the race for second assistant chief was the most heated. This year, three candidates were nominated for the position. Howley, a 23-year department veteran and first-time nominee took the post, but not before facing off against two other equally qualified candidates, Kevin Calhoun of Hook and Ladder Co. 1 and Joseph Fernandez of Engine Co. 1. This was the second nomination for Calhoun and Fernandez.
For Howley, like Garofalo, it's a family tradition to serve as a chief in the Valley Stream Fire Department. Howley's father, William, and brother, William Jr., are former chiefs. Howley, who is now in line to become chief in two years, said he practically grew up in a firehouse. His earliest memory of a firehouse is when he was 5-years-old. A former captain of his company, Howley is a village employee.
Retiring Chief Croak had some advice for his successors. "The most important thing to remember is you want to set an example. Lead from the front and be fair and equal with everybody so that you can get more from them."
Croak's leadership skills were called upon numerous times during his one-year term, particularly during the aftermath of Sept. 11 and during two fires on Carroll Avenue in November and January, that each resulted in one fatality.
Croak is a 25-year department member and almost 20-year member of the New York City Fire Department in Ladder 170 in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Last June, New York City honored Croak with the Thomas F. Dougherty medal, a prestigious award given for extraordinary service in fire rescue. Croak was honored for saving the life of a woman trapped in a cellar fire in Uptown Manhattan in March 2001.
