For half a century, Paul “Butch” Yanantuono has been answering the call — day or night, rain or shine — as a member of the Baldwin Fire Department.
On May 7, the 71-year-old firefighter marked 50 years since he first joined Hose Company One in 1975. Earlier this month, fellow firefighters, family members and friends gathered to mark the milestone with a dinner celebrating Yanantuono’s decades of dedication to Baldwin and the brotherhood of the fire service.
“Fifty years is just an amazing accomplishment,” Kevin Smith, an ex-chief of the department and one of the event organizers, said. “I think 30 years was a long time, but 50 is incredible. And to boot, he’s still our senior most active member.”
Over the course of his career, Yanantuono has filled nearly every role in the department, including chief, captain and commissioner, and he maintains one of the highest call averages in Hose Company One.
“He’s not someone who just kept his name on the roster,” Smith said. “He’s still up at 4 a.m. for alarms, still driving the trucks, still training the next generation. He’s done it all, and he’s done it at every level.”
Yanantuono’s 50th-anniversary dinner, on Oct. 4 at O’Connell Gardens in Oceanside, drew a large crowd, including colleagues from neighboring departments, instructors from the Nassau County Fire Service Academy — where he once taught — and friends he made in his work with the New York State Association of Fire Districts.
“It was a surprise,” Yanantuono said. “I didn’t expect it to be that big, because in 50 years you meet a lot of people at the local, state, and county levels.”
“He’s always been the teacher,” Smith said. “Even now he’s researching, learning and bringing us up to speed with new tactics. He’s always looking to educate — the younger members, the older members, everyone.”
For the Yanantuonos, service runs deep. Butch’s father, Paul Sr., was a department chief in the 1960s, and Butch and Barbara, two sons, Craig and Thomas, have followed in his footsteps — Craig as an chief and Thomas as a captain. Butch’s brother, Joe, is also an ex-chief, and his niece Tiffany now serves with Hose Company One.
Craig Yanantuono, 44, said his father’s devotion to the fire service has shaped their entire family. “It’s just a testament to him,” Craig said. “He’s put his heart into this from day one, and never stopped. Even after retiring, he’s still got one of the highest call averages in the company. Every living moment goes toward the fire service. It’s incredible.”
Craig, who joined Hose Company One right after he graduated from Baldwin High School in 1999, said that growing up around the department made it a natural path.
“As a kid, it was exciting just to tag along and see what was going on,” he recalled. “It gave me a sense of community — and once I could, I joined. It’s been part of who we are.”
He described his father as “a living personification of what it means to do the job.”
Smith, who joined the department in 1994, said he has worked alongside Yanantuono for all 31 of those years. “Anytime I’ve been here, he’s been around,” Smith said. “He’s always positive, always willing to lend a helping hand. There isn’t one specific moment that stands out — it’s just 31 years of memories with him being there for everyone.”
“Family is very important to him,” Smith added. “You saw it that night — they came from everywhere to celebrate him. It really shows what kind of person he is, and what he means to all of us.”
Asked what future firefighters can learn from Yanantuono’s legacy, Smith didn’t hesitate. “Sacrifice, loyalty and commitment,” he said. “You need all three of those to make it work — and he demonstrates them better than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
