James Seymour Takes Command of the Scarsdale Fire Department

It's not often that Scarsdale appoints a new Chief of the Fire Department – in fact, the last time it happened was more than a decade ago. So when the Village learned that Chief Thomas Cain would retire after 32 years of service to Scarsdale, with ten as the chief, they planned an impressive Transfer of Command Ceremony to give both the departing and starting chiefs their due and to present commendations and a promotion to others on the team. In a solemn ceremony, command of the Scarsdale Fire Department was transferred from Chief Cain to Captain James Seymour who has served Scarsdale since 2004.

On Tuesday July 12th a full complement of firefighters, family members, village officials, chiefs of neighboring departments and well wishers filled the Scott Room of Scarsdale Library. The occasion was marked by a posting of the colors from the Scarsdale Fire Department Honor Guard.

The ceremony opened with remarks from the Mayor, Village Trustee Matt Callaghan and Village Manager Steve Pappalardo. Callagahn, who has served as a volunteer firefighter for over 32 years said the company was "enmeshed in brotherhood and courage." Pappalardo recounted the history of the department which began in 1893 with a horse drawn wagon outfitted with fire extinguishers.

Two firefighters were presented with honorable service awards for fighting a fire at 180 Bradley Road in September 2012. Dan Disimone and Brian Hughes were credited for "performing admirably," and "distinguishing themselves," while fighting the fire.

Six firefighters were given awards for their performance during a four-vehicle accident on the Hutchinson River Parkway in January 2015, when a driver was pinned into his car after hitting a tree. Firefighters used rescue tools to "extricate the victim from complex entrapment." Awards went to Dan Desimone, Jamie Polockow, Mark Rosenfeld, Michael Dwyer, Alan Gleason and Jeremy Stempel.

Unit citations were awarded to firefighters who fought a propane leak on Mayflower Road in May 2016. The leak formed a vapor cloud that threatened a home on Colonial Road. Firefighters stretched hoses to disperse the leaking propane and saved the home. According to Chief Cain, they "worked tirelessly in elevated temperatures and high humidity to mitigate the leak." Recipients included John Cockerill, James Seymour, Brian Robinson, Brian Kelly, James Marinello, Stephen Mulcahey, Michael Dwyer, Francis Sheehan, Timothy Duffy, Rory Tully and David Yolinksy who was injured this week fighting a fire on Bell Road.

More unit citations were awarded for work done after motor vehicle accident on Palmer Avenue. Awardees included John Cockerill, Brian Kelly, Michael Dwyer, Jamie Polockow, Chris DiMichele, Chris Mytych, Timothy Duffy, Chris Feineis and William Folkerts.

Chief Cain said goodbye after a 37-year career and said, "There is not a better fire department or municipality to work for. I have been treated fairly and with respect. I consider myself fortunate to have been hired here in 1984." He thanked former mentors, village managers and his family, and said about the new Chief James Seymour, "I leave with great confidence in your new fire chief. He is a man of great character who is passionate about the fire service and devoted to the department." He praised Seymour for his "intelligence, calm demeanor, and willingness to seek advice and counsel," and promised to "give him the key to the private "chief's only" bathroom on Friday." He also presented Seymour with a white firefighter helmet, worn exclusively by the chief.

Village Manager Steve Pappalardo said that Cain had brought a new level of professionalism to the department and raised the level of training. He thanked him and wished nothing but the best.

Incoming Chief Seymour said he had been introduced to firefighting by his father and had a passion for it from the start. He started here in 2004 and "has not regretted it once." Tearing up, he thanked his wife and said, "Never in a million years did I think I would be the chief of a $6.2 million department. It is an honor and a privilege."

Stepping into his new role, Seymour promoted Stephen G. Mulcahy to Fire Captain. Mulcahy was formerly a police office with the NYPD who "leads by example and is always a mentor to new recruits." Seymour called Mulcahy a "strong leader, go-to guy, who is motivated to learn, displays poise, experience, charisma and persistence and comes from a family with a rich history of public service."

The ceremony concluded as it began with the color guard. After a reception the firemen got back on the fire trucks that were parked at the library, in case of an emergency, and returned to the firehouse.