The Junior Firefighters of the Great Neck Alert Fire Company honored two juniors for their hard work, dedication and extraordinary service to the Alert Junior Firefighters program. The ceremony took place at the Company’s headquarters.
A well-deserved award was presented to outgoing Captain Julia Motchkavitz and a special plaque was given to outgoing 1st Lieutenant Maya Garfinkel.
Julia joined the Alert Juniors in 2014 and prior to becoming Captain in 2018, Julia served as Financial Secretary, 2nd Lieutenant, and 1st Lieutenant. She is currently a senior at Great Neck South High School where she is a Safety Captain of the school’s world champion robotic team, Team 2638, also known as the “Rebellion”.
Maya joined the Juniors in early 2016 and first served as Recording Secretary, and 2nd Lieutenant before becoming 1st Lieutenant in 2018. Maya is currently a senior at Great Neck North High School and was the Gold Coast Shining Star of the Long Island chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
Last May, the Great Neck Alert Juniors, led by a team of five female officers that included Julia and Maya, were named the 2019 Youth Group of the Year by the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY). Each year, FASNY recognizes a youth fire organization that displays dedication to fire safety and community service.
This was the first time in the 40-year history of the Great Neck Alert Juniors that the group was led by all-female officers. It was also the first time the Juniors received the distinct honor of being FASNY’s Youth Group of the Year.
