Westbrookville firefighter Louis Tunno wins $1,500 scholarship as senior

Westbrookville Volunteer Fire Company firefighter Louis Tunno, a graduating Port Jervis School District Class of 2026 senior, was awarded a $1,500 scholarship, tying together his role in the firehouse and his next step after high school. The recognition gave Westbrookville a hometown story with a clear civic thread: a young resident who already serves his community was rewarded as he moved toward college.

Tunno’s award fits a broader tradition within the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, which says its Gerard J. Buckenmeyer Memorial FASNY Volunteer Scholarship program provides twenty-five $1,500 scholarships each year to high school seniors entering college. FASNY says the awards recognize exemplary members of the youth fire service who also contribute to their communities, and the program has been awarded every year since 1998. It is funded by donations from individuals, fire departments and auxiliaries.

The scholarship criteria help explain why Tunno’s role stands out. FASNY says applicants must be high school seniors entering college and must be current junior firefighters, Explorer Scouts or RAM members affiliated with a volunteer department or volunteer EMS unit. In Tunno’s case, the scholarship linked school, service and local identity in one step, reflecting the pipeline that many volunteer companies try to build from teenage involvement to adult membership.

That pipeline matters because FASNY says New York’s volunteer fire departments face a critical need to recruit and retain members. The group has promoted youth participation as both a resume-builder for college and jobs and a way to keep young people connected to the fire service through scholarships and tuition reimbursement. Orange County government also maintains volunteer firefighter information, underscoring that recruitment remains a local issue, not just a statewide one.

For Westbrookville and Port Jervis, Tunno’s scholarship was more than a financial boost. It was a visible reminder that the volunteer firehouse can still act as a community anchor, investing in one of its own while helping a graduating senior take the next step after school.