They have, technically, already been maintaining order and control within the community throughout this spring, but on Wednesday, April 15, the Jericho Volunteer Fire Department officially held its induction ceremony for a new breed of firefighters whose function will be to control public chaos at scenes of disorder.

A group of 15 men, made up of many senior members of the department, were sworn in as the Fire Police unit. Despite their name, these volunteers do not so much partake in the traditional roles of either firemen or police. They are, however, part of the firefighting unit, and will command crowd control authority similar to that of the police.

"The purpose of fire police is to secure the scene of an emergency or disaster, using crowd control," said Bill Mansberger, captain of the fire police unit. The force's responsibility, said the captain, is to block off traffic to all vehicles which are responding to the emergency, and to prevent passerby pedestrians from endangering themselves or interfering with the fire department's work. The unit is dispatched to scenes at the discretion of Jericho's chief, Richard Schiraldi.

The fire police concept originated approximately one year ago among five veteran firefighters at the Jericho Fire Department, which has been recognized in years past for another of its specialty units, the Special Rescue Task Force, which responds to unusual emergencies in high places or confined spaces. Mansberger, Commander Larry Bechteler, Chaplain Paul Kardel, ex-Chief Vito Mastasi and ex-Chief Doug Heron drafted a proposal that included requests for a specially equipped traffic control vehicle and a backup vehicle, a proposal that was approved by the Board of Fire Commissioners.

The concept of fire police itself, however, is nothing novel. Many battalions have a fire police unit as part of their department, and, explained Mansberger, such units not only benefit the public's safety, but provide older, experienced firemen with an opportunity to remain involved, while not exceeding their physical limitations. For those who can no longer easily scale ladders, man hoses and battle blazes, said Mansberger, "now there is another organization where you can be an active participant." Meanwhile, with one less duty over which to be concerned, rescue company members can concentrate on dousing fires and saving lives.

The inaugural fire police unit is, indeed, loaded with veterans. "In this first group, you'll find a lot of gold," Manberger noted, alluding to the aureate badges that adorn ex-chiefs' uniforms.

The fire police will operate what is known as a crash truck, a vehicle that carries equipment that can be set up to slow cars down, and keep them anywhere from 100-150 feet away from an emergency scene. Schiraldi said that the need for such a truck is especially significant when dealing with incidents along the LIE and Northern State Parkway, "very dangerous places to be."

The fire police have already been put to good use, perhaps most significantly in response to a house fire that occurred last Tuesday, April 14 on Miller Lane, located within East Birchwood. Schiraldi said that the incident, which attracted a crowd of curious spectators, was a good example of why the fire police unit was formed.

"People see lights and get drawn to them," said Schiraldi. "The neighbors start to close in. One of their [fire police] functions is to keep people back."

Judge Kenneth Diamond, in a 14-karat performance, conducted the induction ceremony, swearing in the new force. "The Jericho Fire Department does a wonderful job to protect and save lives, and if there's anything I can do...to show my appreciation, I'll do it," said the enthusiastic Diamond, a 41-year Jericho resident.

"We had the good fortune of having Judge Diamond here to swear in our fire police members," said Schiraldi.

Fire police members were required to undergo special training before being put into action, and they are currently working with police officials to coordinate how members of each force will work together during emergencies.