Council swears in local firefighter and honors crew for two rescues

The council approved Resolution 51 and appointed Cole Tennant to the City of Beacon Fire Department, then the mayor administered the oath of office.

"It is my pleasure to introduce our candidate for appointment as a career firefighter with the City of Beacon Fire Department, Mr. Cole Tennant," said the fire chief (speaker 10), noting Tennant completed a 2024 internship with the department while pursuing a bachelor’s in fire science. After the motion and second, the mayor swore Tennant in: "I, Cole Tennant, do solemnly swear... that I will faithfully discharge the duties of City of Beacon firefighter," the mayor said as Tennant repeated the oath.

The council also recognized members of the shift who responded to a technical rescue at Beacon High School on April 28, 2026, and presented a separate certificate to Lieutenant Robert Simmons Jr. for entering the Hudson River on May 5 to assist a capsized kayaker. The fire chief described the April incident as "a very challenging technical rescue" that required coordination and creative problem‑solving by assistant chief Dennis Leahy, Lt. Mark Romanelli, and firefighters on the shift.

Mayor (speaker 3) presented framed certificates that read: "In recognition of your courageous and selfless actions on 04/28/2026... the City of Beacon gratefully recognizes and thanks you for your dedication to protecting the lives and safety of those in our community." The citation for Lieutenant Simmons noted the May 5 off‑duty river rescue near Long Dock Park and thanked him for preventing what "could have been a very tragic outcome."