Community Corner

River Dell's First Jr. Police Academy Holds Special Graduation

River Edge and Oradell emergency services, along with State Trooper helicopter, demonstrate their roles during an emergency.

The River Dell Jr. Police Academy held the graduation of their first class of recruits Friday.

Capping the week of special guests, Oradell Police Officer Rich Liguori and River Edge Police Officer Marc Abate arranged for the River Edge and Oradell Fire Departments and Ambulance Corps to give a demonstration to the recruits about their equipment and their roles during emergency situations. 

Recruits were given the opportunity to try on turnout gear to get a sense of the extra weight firefighters are required to wear, even in the heat of summer, before responding to a fire call. 

The crowning event of the week was the landing of the N.J. State Trooper Helicopter onto the River Dell Middle School field. The New Jersey Emergency Medical Services Helicopter Response Program provides rapid emergency transport and care for trauma patients in New Jersey.

The graduation ceremony took place inside the River Dell Middle School auditorium where Oradell Police Chief Frank Florio told the 30 recruits and the audience of parents, "I couldn't be more pleased or proud of what I've seen with this academy."

"These men, put a lot of time and effort into this," he said, referring to Liguori and Abate who planned, developed and executed the program. 

River Edge Police Chief Tom Cariddi told the recruits, "I'm incredibly proud of what you've done as 30 individuals who came together to form a class."

Cariddi stressed the importance of working as a team in law enforcement and emergency services. 

"This week you saw how we work as a team in order to provide safety and security for the communities we serve," he said. "You came as individuals and ended as a team."

The following police officers assisted Liguori and Abate:

Dave Gangemi, Oradell
Joe Zemaites, River Edge
Derek Kahill, Oradell
Anthony Roman, River Edge
Dan Lee, River Edge
Renata Sanches, River Edge
Joe SanFilippo, River Edge

Follow RiverDell Patch on Facebook and Twitter;  Click here to sign-up for our daily newsletter and get local news like this delivered to your in-box.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here