Feb. 11--On his first day on the job in 1989, a fellow firefighter told Raymond A. Senecal something he heard a lot throughout his career.
"If you're half the firefighter your father was, you'll be a true hero," the younger Senecal recalled Monday after taking the oath of office as the new fire chief and having his father, Capt. Raymond M. Senecal, pin his chief's badge on him during a promotion ceremony at City Hall.
The older Senecal, who made the trip from Florida, retired as a Schenectady fire captain in 1997.
His son recounted having the honor of teaming up with his father on his last fire call before he retired.
"The fire department has been in my history; it's been in my blood," Senecal said during his address.
He thanked his family for understanding the demands of his commander job, which often involves rushing to fire scenes on holidays. He recalled how years ago he dashed from a blaze to his 10-year-old son's baseball game, only to get to the parking lot and hear the roar of the crowd after his child hit the game-winning grand slam.
The 51-year-old Senecal also lauded his firefighters as "true professionals" whose "efforts do not go unnoticed."
He promised to continue focusing on firefighter safety, training for the young department, and physical fitness. Both Senecal and his predecessor, Michael Della Rocco, who attended the ceremony, are known for being in excellent shape.
Senecal's appointment as fire chief comes about five weeks after he was promoted to assistant chief.
Mayor Gary McCarthy joked that Senecal's "distinguished" tenure as assistant chief was left off the news release announcing the fire department promotions.
Senecal, who has been with the department for 24 years, the last 10 as a deputy chief, is its most senior platoon commander and fire investigator. The Niskayuna resident, who has promised the mayor he will move into the city, will earn about $137,000 a year.
After the ceremony, the elder Senecal said he is proud of his son's accomplishment.
"He always gives 110 percent and we're proud of him," he said.
Copyright 2014 - Times Union, Albany, N.Y.
