Above and Beyond: Youngstown Volunteer Fire Co. celebrates 115 years

YVFC membership recognized for service to community

By Terry Duffy

Editor-in-Chief

Photos by Kevin and Dawn Cobello, K&D Action Photo & Aerial Imaging

It was a celebration of service to community and all that entails, as members of the Youngstown Volunteer Fire Co. held their 115th installation Saturday, Feb. 7, at the firehall.

The event included swearing-in ceremonies for the YVFC membership, including fire company officers, exempt organization officers, and ladies auxiliary officers.

Fire company officers taking their oaths for 2026 were Greg Robertson Sr. as YVFC president; Gary Bowman, vice president; Kristen Acome, recording secretary; Timothy Wilkesmore, treasurer; Nicole Quarantillo, financial secretary; Scott Szarejko, James Pollow Jr. and James Acome, trustees; and Michelle Robertson and Robertson Sr. as delegates.

Installed fire company line officers include Eric Wieland, YVFC chief; Greg Quarantillo, first assistant; James Panton, second assistant; John Mies, third assistant; Todd Muller and Eric “Bud” Wieland, captains; Donald Hermanson, lieutenant; Wendy Shaw, line secretary; Suzanne Burrows, EMS lieutenant; Timothy Fogarty, EMS captain; Alan Reid, fire police captain; Fred Wilkesmore, fire police lieutenant; Fogarty, health and safety; Wilkesmore, steward; and Michelle Robertson, chaplain.

YVFC service awards recipients recognized for active service in 2025 included: Acome, Lucas Heffler, Emily Engh and Shaw – five years of service; Colin Campbell and Donald Hermanson – 10 years; Jeff Jercitano – 20 years and life membership; and Greg Quarantillo – 25 years.

Jeremy Ringvelski was recognized with five years of membership in the YVFC exempts organization; with Fogarty cited for 15 years of service, Jercitano and Albert Smith, 15 years; and Frederick Gibson and Walter Mamon, 20 years. YVFC Ladies Auxiliary honorees included Christ Martineau, Michele Ricciuti and Tania Zastrow, 10 years; Sheila Tubinis, 15 years; and Mary Ellen Nelson, 20 years.

Greg Quarantillo, center, recognized for 25 years of service with YVFC by President Greg Robertson Sr., left, and Chief Eric Wieland.

Raleigh Reynolds, left, was honored as “Firefighter of the Year.”

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Tributes continued as the entire fire company membership was recognized by the nonprofit Friends of Youngstown organization. Christine Rath, founder and executive chair, offered her appreciation to Nicole and Greg Quarantillo and the YVFC team for its assistance in helping to promote Youngstown’s recreational and historic quality of life.

“We wanted to personally thank the Youngstown volunteer fire department for supporting the events such as the Nancy Price Memorial Run, ‘Christmas in the Village,’ the trunk-or-treat,” she said. “Each year, the actual events continue to grow and we’re pleased to say that we’ve been raising significant amount of funds to do a lot of renovations at Veterans Park, which you will start seeing some work occur by Greg and his team in the upcoming year, along with other areas throughout Youngstown.”

YVFC went on to honor its own, as the newest members of the “100 Club,” were introduced.

Robertson Sr. said, “We do about 500 calls a year. And we started several years ago acknowledging anybody with over 100. And for this small community and the size of our membership, that is quite a feat.”

Recipients included James Patton, 104 calls; Eric “Bud” Wieland, 105 calls; Greg Quarantillo Jr., 128 calls; Robertson, 150 calls; Eric Wieland, 159 calls; Shaw, 180 calls; Robertson Sr., 223 calls; and Burrows, 253 calls.

The highlight of the evening was recognition of Raleigh Reynolds as “Firefighter of the Year.” Reynolds, a decades-long YVFC member, has served the fire company as a past president and line officer. A former mayor of the village, Reynolds was honored as YVFC’s leading responder for 2025 with 272 calls for service answered.

Accepting the honor to a standing ovation by attendees, Reynolds downplayed its significance, commenting, “I was pushed to try to get 300 – but maybe this year.”