Rye FD has a new captain. The position has been open since Captain John McDwyer retired last October after 31.5 years of service to the City of Rye.
On Friday morning at City Hall, Lieutenant Clyde Pitts was elevated to Captain and Firefighter Ryan Prata took a new position as Lieutenant. The move marks the continuation of a multiyear shift in the department from a volunteer to a professional staff. Pitts will report to Rye Public Safety Commissioner Mike Kopy, who oversees both police and fire.
“I am counting on each of you to be the leaders that I am expecting,” said Commissioner Kopy to the two men after the swearing-in. “Your colleagues are counting on you to lead them. But most importantly, this community is counting on you.”
Pitts and Prata
Pitts began serving the City of Rye as a volunteer firefighter in 2012 and moved to a career firefighter in 2017. He graduated from the Westchester Career Chiefs’ Fire Academy 1st in his class, earning the Chief Robert Mauro Academic Achievement Award. Pitts also won the Lt. Anthony Fillat “Esprit De Corps” Award while in the academy.
In 2021, he was awarded a Life Saving Award from the City of Rye Fire Department for rescue efforts during super storm Ida. In January 2022 Pitts was promoted to Lieutenant. Recently, he has assisted in the development of the City’s Emergency Operations Center, the training of members, fire prevention education and code enforcement.
Pitts was born and raised in Virginia. His wife Debbie is from Rye. The couple live in Rye with their three children, Abigail, Emilie and Kelsey, all of whom attend Osborn Elementary School.
Prata is a Rye lifer – he was born, raised and lives in Rye with his wife Allison and three children Ben, Olivia and Tyler. Prata is a Rye High ‘91 graduate. He volunteered at FD before being hired as a career firefighter in 2001. He has taken on roles as an inventory clerk and a member of the city’s swift water team. He is also certified in code enforcement.
His wife Allison is a teacher at Rye Presbyterian Nursery School. His oldest Ben will graduate from Rye High School this year and head to Marist College this fall.
Evolution of the Department
“We have a new tradition in Rye of having career firefighter leadership,” said Rye Mayor Josh Cohn in his remarks Friday, explaining the role of these men in the evolution of the department. “When I became mayor nearly seven years ago, we had a bitterly divided Fire Department. We had a volunteer corps on which the city had depended for so many years, still struggling against demographics, against the burden of increased training, to maintain leadership and maintain a consistency of operation. And we had a career core that was constrained in its opportunity and felt constrained in its ability to demonstrate the success that it could bring to fire prevention and firefighting in the City. And now by dint, really of goodwill among all our firefighters, but particularly on the part of our former captain, and Chief Bochicchio standing in the back, we have the combined fire department that we always hoped for.”
“I’m humbled and honored for the position,” said Pitts to family, frields and City officials gathered at the event.
“Thank you for the opportunity,” said Prata. “Let’s get it.”
Photos and video from the ceremony:
