Meet the New Rye FD Captain, 29 Year Vet John McDwyer

Twenty nine years of hard work and dedication pays off.

In a City Hall ceremony Tuesday, John McDwyer became the first career captain of the Rye Fire Department. Mayor Josh Cohn presented McDwyer his Captain’s badge and he was sworn in by City Clerk Carolyn D’Andrea, Esq. McDwyer’s promotion was announced last week.

In his comments, Rye Mayor Josh Cohn referenced historic tension between the career and volunteer fire fighters. “We were missing that element we needed to unify our combination fire department,” said Cohn. “That missing element was a leader within the ranks of the fire department capable of being the man of good will, able to stand in the middle and bring fire fighters together. That leader was present but unrealized – John McDwyer.”

McDwyer, clearly moved by the Mayor’s kind words, made some impromptu comments. “Today is another benchmark in the City’s commitment to provide excellent service to its residents and its commitment to its employees to give everybody a better and safer place to come work.”

Watch the ceremony & see the photos: