They earned promotions, and on Monday they received them.
Twenty-five members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department were promoted on Monday, Dec. 16, at a ceremony in the Massey Building in the City of Fairfax.
In recognizing their contributions to the residents of Fairfax County and their profession, Chief Edward L. Stinnette said, "You have been very successful in your chosen field, and you should be very proud of your accomplishments."
He urged those being promoted to supervisory positions to "remember those you work with as you move up the ladder of success." Stinnette recognized the contributions of support, not only to those being promoted but also to the department as a whole by family and friends in the audience.
Seven of those receiving promotions were moving into the rank of lieutenant, which Battalion Chief Andrew D. Snead, serving as master of ceremonies, described as "one of the most difficult levels of transition for any firefighter."
AS THE FIRST supervisory level in rank, Snead noted, "It's a transformation from firefighter to a leadership role. It is the first level where an individual serves as the leader of a unit."
Two of the four being promoted to battalion chief were from Mount Vernon District stations. John J. Caussin Jr. has served at the Mount Vernon Station, No. 9, located at the intersection of Sherwood Hall and Parkers lanes, and David M. McKernan, has been a member of the Penn Daw Station, No. 11, on Mount Vernon Terrace.
Those promoted in each category, in addition to Caussin and McKernan, were as follows: Battalion Chief — Jerome A. Roussillion and Mark A. Rohr; Captain II — Manuel A. Barrero and Daniel V. Gray; Captain I — Steve D. Clark, Eric F. Cunningham, David E. Dicola, Michael J. Garcia, Charles H. Hile,III, Dean R. Sherick, Jeffrey S. Lewis, Lorenzo M. Thrower and David L. Warner; Lieutenant — Edward D. Bowman, Chris M. Brown, Glen C. Jackson, Thomas R. Mayhew, John W. Richter, Dale L. Varnau and Svenja E. Leyden; Technician A — Mike C. Day, Kenneth W. Cornett Sr. and David S. Gaertner.