The Port Washington Fire Department announced a partnership with the Peter & Jeri Dejana Foundation to construct a $1 million state-of-the-art firefighter and emergency medical training center.
The facility, which will be built on department-owned property on Rosin West Shore Road near the Town of North Hempstead Highway Department, is expected to be completed in roughly 18 months.
For more than two decades, the department has envisioned a dedicated training center for firefighters and EMTs within the community. Financial constraints had delayed the project, but the Dejana Foundation’s grant has made the vision a reality, officials said.
“The Port Washington Fire Department is honored to receive this grant,” said Chris Bollerman, department treasurer. “It will allow our volunteer firefighters to train locally, reducing travel time and ensuring they remain available to respond to emergencies while training.”
Valerie Mallon, program director at the Dejana Foundation, said the partnership reflects the foundation’s longstanding commitment to Port Washington.
“We’ve always maintained a very close relationship with the Port Washington Fire Department. They approached us about building a once-in-a-lifetime training facility in memory of a fallen captain,” she said. “We immediately felt this was an opportunity to support them and the community in a way that is unique, providing safety and service for both the community and the firefighters.”
The facility will replicate real-world emergency scenarios, including multi-story buildings, commercial storefronts, and residential structures.
“Most of us live on the North Shore. We care deeply about the welfare of our community members and the people who keep us safe,” Mallon said. “Supporting this training center was a no-brainer.”
The facility will replicate real-world emergency scenarios, including multi-story buildings, commercial storefronts, and residential structures reflective of Port Washington’s diverse architecture. Officials said the center will enhance the department’s operational readiness and public safety.
The training center will be named the Captain Robert H. Dayton Training Center in memory of Captain Dayton, a Port Washington firefighter who died in the line of duty during a 1988 search-and-rescue operation. Dayton, who served as the department’s training officer, was supervising a rescue when a flashover trapped him on the second floor of a building on Main Street.
“Captain Dayton’s death led to significant improvements in our department’s safety protocols and equipment,” Bollerman said. “Naming the facility in his honor is a permanent tribute to his sacrifice and dedication to firefighter training.”
The Dejana Foundation has a long history of supporting the Port Washington Fire Department, providing funding for ambulances, defibrillators, and other life-saving equipment, officials said. Bollerman emphasized the new training center will further improve firefighter preparedness and community safety.
Construction is expected to begin in late spring or early summer, following final design approvals. Department leadership and members of Dayton’s family were present at a recent ceremony marking the grant and recognizing the firefighter’s enduring legacy.
