Stricken NYC firefighter Mark Dziemian promoted in 'very emotional' ceremony
Share this @internewscast.com

It was an honor he’d been patiently waiting for.

In a heartfelt event on Thursday, the FDNY celebrated the promotion of firefighter Mark Dziemian, who has remained in the hospital following a cardiac arrest while tackling a two-alarm fire in Brooklyn on March 16.

Taking place at the College of Staten Island, Dziemian’s wife, Jackee, along with their two children, accepted his promotion to lieutenant on his behalf. She remarked that her husband had been eagerly anticipating this moment.

“Mark has been looking forward to this for so long,” Jackee said. “He took the test in 2022, and becoming a lieutenant meant so much to him.

“It was really touching to look around the room to see FDNY firefighters and their families feeling what we’re going through,” she said.

FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker told The Post he was “very emotional” during the event, adding that Dziemian was due for the title change.

“This promotion was part of a civil service process, and I had no doubt that we wanted to honor him as soon as we had the opportunity, with strong support from the mayor,” Tucker commented.

Dziemian’s wife and children, Sophia, 4 years old, and Michael, 8 months, received a long standing ovation as they walked across the stage to accept his new rank.

“I’d be surprised if there were a dry eye in that room that was filled with a lot of tough people,” Tucker said. “It was exactly how I wanted his wife and family to see how we feel about her, her family, and Mark.”

During his career, Dziemian has served the FDNY in various capacities, including representing the department in the ceremonial unit at funerals, flag raisings, and other formal events.

Tucker said Dziemian’s friends and coworkers have been a constant source of support for his family since his medical emergency.

“Anytime a firefighter or EMT or a paramedic or frankly anybody in the FDNY gets injured in the line of duty, it is a profound event,” Tucker said. “It is something that we all respond to.”

Dziemian, who works out of Engine 217 in Bushwick, grew up in Maspeth, Queens, attended St. Adalbert Elementary School in Elmhurst, Queens, played multiple sports at Xavier High School and studied theater and visual arts at Fordham University.

He followed in the footsteps of his cousin, Walter, and became an EMT. A chance meeting with former Assistant Commissioner of Communications Stephen Gregory inspired him to join the FDNY.

“Mark is an exemplary firefighter that I considered like a fourth son,” said Gregory, whose family has four generations on the job. “I had my dad’s lieutenant’s badge put aside for Mark so that he will receive badge #1207.”

A proud Polish American, Dziemian is the president of the FDNY’s Pulaski Association, a charitable organization of firefighters with Polish and other Slavic roots.

On March 1, two weeks before Dziemian’s injury, he was proud to report that the Pulaski Association’s annual dinner dance raised $1,500 for the Children’s Smile Foundation, which helps kids in need, as well as $5,000 for the NYC Firefighters Burn Center Foundation, which sends childhood burn victims to summer camp.

Dziemian – a Middle Village resident who turned 41 years old in the hospital on March 29 – encouraged his lifelong friend, Mariusz Jastrzebski, who owns Syrena Bakery in Greenpoint, to sponsor the Pulaski Association.

“Being Polish American with parents who came from Poland, he wanted to use his heritage and being a firefighter for good in the community,” Jastrzebski said. “Now, I’m in awe of how the FDNY and the community have stepped up for his family.”

Dziemian was taken to Wycoff Heights Medical Center in Bushwick immediately after the cardiac incident but was transferred to Lenox Hill that same night. After relocating again to North Shore University Hospital on Long Island, Dziemian is “fighting to recover” at the Rusk Rehabilitation Center in Manhattan, where his wife is driven daily by FDNY members.

As Dziemian battled back from his injuries, his mother, Agnes, succumbed to cancer March 27. His father, Eugene, passed away in March 1998.

Jackee Dziemian says it’s hard to describe the outpouring of support from the FDNY Family Assistance Unit, the Uniformed Firefighters Association, and the medical teams caring for her husband.

On Saturday, friends, family and fellow firefighters watched as the FDNY Marine Unit paid tribute to Dziemian with a water demonstration of police boats along the East River.

More than 615 tickets have been sold for a “tailgate benefit” scheduled for before the Mets game June 11 at Citi Field.

A GoFundMe page started to help ease the financial strain on Dziemian’s family raised nearly $50,000 in two days.

“This is who Mark is,” Jackee Dziemian said. “If this happened to anybody else, he’d be out there

supporting them.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Dad finds 13-year-old son dead after 200-foot fall from bluff inside popular National Park site

Tragic National Park Accident: Father Discovers Son’s Fatal 200-Foot Fall

In a heart-wrenching incident in Arkansas over the weekend, a father discovered…
Father of Jacksonville rapper Ksoo to be sentenced in November for accessory in murder

Jacksonville Rapper Ksoo’s Father Faces November Sentencing: A Deep Dive into the Murder Accessory Case

Abdul Robinson Sr., 54, has reached a plea agreement to testify against…
A timeline of US attacks off South America and what Congress has had to say

Exploring the Chronology of U.S. Military Actions off South America: Congressional Insights and Reactions

WASHINGTON (AP) — Over the past two months, President Donald Trump and…
FBI releases new surveillance video of suspect who placed pipe bombs near DNC, RNC offices in DC

FBI Unveils New Footage of Suspect Linked to Pipe Bombs Near DNC and RNC Offices

In a renewed effort to solve one of the lingering mysteries from…
No CTA trains will run on Chicago Loop elevated rails this weekend for track work, including Brown, Green, Orange and Pink lines

Chicago Loop Train Shutdown: No CTA Service on Brown, Green, Orange, and Pink Lines This Weekend Due to Track Maintenance

Attention, commuters! This weekend, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has announced a…
Broadway musicians reach tentative labor deal, averting a strike

Broadway Musicians Secure Tentative Labor Agreement, Preventing Potential Strike

NEW YORK (AP) — In a significant move to keep the show…
St. Johns police reponds after student attacked on school bus

St. Johns Police Take Swift Action Following Alarming School Bus Incident

The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement indicating that a…
NYC socialist mayoral candidate Mamdani's 911 plan called 'worst idea' by former NYPD

Former NYPD Criticizes NYC Mayoral Candidate Mamdani’s Controversial 911 Reform Proposal

Mamdani calls for ‘reorganizing’ NYPD 911 response In a mayoral debate held…
NYC mayoral candidates clash bitterly during final debate

Final NYC Mayoral Debate Sparks Heated Exchanges Among Candidates

NEW YORK (AP) — During the heated final debate in New York…
Strike averted: Musicians' union reaches tentative deal with Broadway league

Musicians’ Union and Broadway League Reach Tentative Agreement, Preventing Strike

NEW YORK — Broadway musicians have successfully brokered a preliminary deal with…
California police officer struck and killed by car while stopping to help driver

Tragic Loss: California Officer Fatally Struck While Heroically Assisting Stranded Driver

The La Mesa Police Department is grieving the loss of one of…
Suspect Keon King charged with murder in death of Philadelphia woman Kada Scott; new details revealed

Philadelphia Tragedy: Keon King Faces Murder Charges in Kada Scott’s Death – Latest Updates Unveiled

PHILADELPHIA — Keon King, the man initially arrested in connection with the…