Newly hired firefighter from Port Jervis, NY always knew he wanted a firefighting career!

PORT JERVIS, NY – At age 21, Lohgan Padgett’s path of service is one that he set for himself in his earliest years, and one from which he has never wavered. Padgett has consistently blended his everyday life with determination and steadfastness toward important life goals.

Padgett graduated from Port Jervis High School in June of 2023, Onondaga Community College in May of 2025, and was recently hired as a Firefighter/EMT by the City of Utica Fire Department. 

Having earned his degree in Fire Protection Technology this year, he was hired as a Firefighter/EMT by UFD on August 17, 2026. According to UFD’s website, Padgett is now part of a full complement of 123 members who protect 63,000 residents within 17.5 square miles. The department has four engine companies, two truck companies, one light rescue, three ambulances, and one deputy chief for each of four platoons. Minimum daily staffing is 23 firefighters, plus captains and lieutenants.

While this career position may be new, Padgett’s experience and training as a firefighter is not. As a teen, Padgett followed generations of family firefighters into service by becoming a Junior Firefighter with Huguenot Fire Company at age 16, in 2021. 

While a junior in high school, Padgett enrolled in the Fire Science program at Orange-Ulster BOCES CTEC and earned his National Firefighter I certification, along with several other certifications.As a high school senior, he continued with CTEC, earning additional certifications, including as a New York State EMT.  These early training opportunities and career headstart are something Padgett is grateful for.

“Completing both programs while in high school played a major role in preparing me for a career in the fire service, and gave me a strong foundation to build upon,” Padgett said.

During his years at Onondaga, Padgett was able to simultaneously serve with the nearby Fairmount Fire Department in its Bunk-In Program. According to the Fairmount FD’s website, this program “provides students attending Onondaga Community College and other local institutions of higher education the opportunity to train, respond to calls, and live within one of the busiest fire departments in Onondaga County.”  

This dual opportunity between Fairmount and Onondaga again enhanced Padgett’s educational and career path goals, allowing him to continue as a volunteer firefighter while studying in the firefighting field.

“Being a student bunk-in with Fairmount Fire Department provided me with invaluable knowledge and practical experience on the fireground, while also giving me the opportunity to learn from experienced firefighters and further develop my skills,” Padgett said. “My two years living at the firehouse and running calls with the guys were some of the best times I had during college.”

While completing his college studies, more hands-on experiences and certifications were also able to be achieved at the same time, including an additional National Firefighter I and a National Firefighter II certification.

“Each course, certification, and experience helped prepare me for the career I had been working toward since I was a child,” reflected Padgett. “In looking back, every step of my journey – from growing up around the firehouse and responding to calls with my father, to my education, certifications, and experiences in both volunteer fire departments – has played an important role in getting me where I am today.”

Padgett noted that his family has been involved in the volunteer fire service for many generations. His father and two of his grandfathers are still members of the Port Jervis Fire Department, and the fire service has always been a major part of his own life. 

“My father was a member of Delaware Engine Company #2 in Port Jervis from 1994-2019. He then transferred to Huguenot, but is now back in Port Jervis. I spent much of my childhood around the firehouses, and from a young age I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the fire service,” Padgett said.

Padgett’s mother and two of his aunts were also firefighters and drivers in his hometown communities of Port Jervis and Huguenot. 

“I followed in their footsteps, and some of my fondest memories as a junior firefighter are the calls I responded to alongside my father. Those experiences not only strengthened our relationship, but also confirmed that becoming a career firefighter was what I wanted to do,” Padgett recalled.

While actively serving during modern firefighting times, and with present day equipment and cutting-edge training, skills, and techniques, Padgett shared a still-valid age-old 19th-century writer’s philosophy and quote.

“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Mark Twain