Cutchogue, NY, Fire Department Welcomes Fourth-Generation Firefighter

The newest member of the Cutchogue Fire Department is making history as the fourth generation of his family to serve the community. 

Luke Mauro joined the department as a junior firefighter and was recently sworn in by his grandfather, the Suffolk Times reported.

“In the juniors, I had the greatest exposure to the actual fire department by doing well pumping, because we pump our wells to make sure they’re working twice every year,” Mauro told the newspaper. “We had our own gear, but obviously we couldn’t attend any alarms or anything. I enjoy going to the alarms now.”

The junior program was started by his grandfather, Tom Shalvey, who has served as chief twice for the department. 

Shalvey’s father first joined the department and then his daughter, Mary Shalvey, followed in her father's footsteps. Shalvey has served the community for 50 years.

"The fire department becomes almost like a second family, so a lot of people carry that on," Tom said. “It’s a nice feeling that it’s continued, even if he’s only in a for a few years, even if he was to go somewhere else, like college, it’s nice that we share this with his mom.”

“It’s nice to see my dad be with my son in the fire department," Mary told the newspaper. "I always saw my dad with my grandfather in the fire department, and it’s a special bond that two of them now have.”

Tom recalled tagging along with his father to calls, and Mary has similar memories, which put the firefighting blood in all their families. 

“(Luke) was always around in the fire department, the barbecues and things like that. He joined the juniors when he could, and then, right before his birthday, he came to me and said he wanted to join the fire department at 17. So it was really his decision," Mary said.