A SALUTE TO DOMINICK SANTORO EAST MEADOW FIRE DEPARTMENT’S 1ST 76 YEAR MEMBER DOMINICK SANTORO WAS BORN ON MAY 30, 1923 AND WAS SWORN INTO THE EAST MEADOW FIRE DEPARTMENT ENGINE CO. 2 ON NOVEMBER 17, 1941, AND WAS ASSIGNED BADGE No. 222. DOMINICK WAS SOON AFTER CALLED TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY IN WWII AND PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF NORMANDY. AFTER RETURNING HOME, DOMINICK JOINED THE MEADOWLARKS RACING TEAM AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE 1946 STATE CHAMPIONS. IN 1947 HE WAS 1ST LIEUTENANT OF ENGINE CO. 2. DOMINICK WAS ELECTED 1ST LIEUTENANT OF ENGINE CO. 2 IN 1950, AND IN 1951 WAS ELECTED CAPTAIN. DOMINICK WAS ELECTED 2ND ASST. CHIEF IN 1952, 1ST ASST. CHIEF IN 1953, AND ELECTED CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT IN 1954 AND AGAIN IN 1955. WHILE SERVING AS CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT IN 1954, DOMINICK FORMULATED THE ENGINE CO. SOP’S. THE OPERATIONS ARE STILL USED TODAY WITH ONLY MINOR ALTERATIONS TO MEET CURRENT CONDITIONS, AND HAVE WITHSTOOD THE TEST OF TIME. ALSO AS CHIEF, DOMINICK FORMED ENGINE CO. 1 AND LADDER CO. 2, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR RAPIDLY GROWING COMMUNITY, AND WAS THE INCIDENT COMMANDER AT THE INFAMOUS PLANE CRASH ON BARBARA DR. DOMINICK WAS A BRICKLAYER BY TRADE AND DONATED HIS TIME IN BUILDING THE NEW COMPANY 3 FIREHOUSE IN THE LATE 1940’S.

DOMINICK MARRIED FRANCES WINICKI IN 1948, WHO’S FATHER, UNCLE, AND BROTHERS ALSO SERVED IN THE EMFD, AND WAS A GOLD KEY MEMBER OF THE LADIES AUXILIARY. THEY HAVE 3 CHILDREN, DR. MICHAEL SANTORO WHO SERVES AS OUR DEPARTMENT SURGEON, STANLEY, AND FRANCES, AND NUMEROUS GRANDCHILDREN. DOMINICK SERVED 2 TERMS AS FIRE COMMISSIONER AND PLAYED SAXAPHONE FOR MANY YEARS WITH THE EAST MEADOW FD MARCHING BAND. THOMAS SANTORO, DOMINICK’S BROTHER, ALSO SERVED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS WITH THE EMFD INCLUDING ENGINE COMPANY 2. IN NOVEMBER OF 2011, DOMINICK RECEIVED THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD FIREMATIC AWARD FOR HIS 7 DECADES OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. ALSO THAT SAME YEAR HE HAD THE PRIVELIDGE OF BEING A DIVISION MARSHAL IN THE 6TH BATTALION PARADE HOSTED MY THE EMFD. FOR HIS 76 YEARS OF CONTRIBUTIONS AND ACCOMPISHMENTS TO THE EMFD, ENGINE COMPANY 2 SALUTES OUR VERY OWN EX CHIEF, EX COMMISSIONER, DOMINICK SANTORO. A ROLE MODEL, MENTOR, INNOVATOR, LEADER, AND GENTLEMAN.