County honors local firefighters for service and dedication

Lifelong firefighters John Wolffe and Ed DiMonda, of Malverne and West Hempstead, respectively, were honored last week by the Francis X. Pendl Nassau County Firefighters Museum & Education Center for their service to their communities and to the county.

The pair were recognized and awarded for helping develop a number of innovative county-wide public fire-safety education initiatives and programs for the Nassau County Fire Service Academy and Vocational Education and Extension Board of Nassau County.

Among their accomplishments are the creation of the Learn Not to Burn program, which distributed National Fire Protection Association’s curriculum books to public and private schools throughout the county, and the Senior Citizens program, a three-unit fire safety audio-visual aimed at addressing the needs of the county’s older residents.

Other highlights include Eddie D., the talking robot dog who rides in a miniature fire truck and introduces young children to fire safety behaviors in pre-K and kindergarten programs, and the Fire Safety Trailer, a scaled down replica of a two-story house built by Nassau BOCES used to demonstrate smoke-detector-protection and home-exit drills to more than 20,000 students throughout the county.

Wolffe, a lifelong Malverne resident, joined the Malverne Fire Department in 1966. Although it seemed a natural move — since his grandfather, George Cornwell, and great-uncle, Isaac Cornwell, helped establish the department — he joined because he had a passion for helping people and felt it was his calling. He eventually joined the Nassau County Fire Service Academy and remained there for the duration of his 30-year career before retiring in August.

DiMonda, 73, spent most of his fire-fighting career with the West Hempstead Volunteer Fire Department. He joined the department in 1957 and continued to serve it, as chief from 1974 to 1975 and commissioner from 1978 to 1982, until he retired in 2003. Nearly three years ago, the department awarded DiMonda, whose father and brother were also members, his fifty-year membership pin.  In 2004, DiMonda retired from his position as chief fire and safety instructor for the Vocational Education and Extension Board of Nassau County and the fire academy. Since his retirement, DiMonda has moved out to North Sea, where he is a member of the fire department.

Wolffe said he was “humbled” upon receiving the Francis X. Pendl Firefighter Award at the museum’s Annual Badge of Courage Gala on Oct. 8. “I appreciate it very much,” Wolffe told the Herald. Remaining modest, he added, “My career with the fire academy spanned thirty years and during that time we did quite a few new and innovative things.”

His colleague, DiMonda, spoke even less of his own accomplishments, emphasizing the importance of service. “It was a very good experience,” DiMonda said of his 53 years with the West Hempstead Fire Department. “There’s something about helping people — it’s always a very good feeling and I enjoyed it.”

Both Wolffe and DiMonda remain active in their respective fire departments, Wolffe as safety officer for Malverne and DiMonda a life member for West Hempstead and an active member of North Sea.

For more information about the museum, visit ncfiremuseum.org.

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