Youth Mentor of the Year Award

 

If New York state is going to maintain a healthy volunteer fire service in the decades to come, it’s going to need a steady influx of youth, as well as knowledgeable mentors to teach them the skills they need to be successful on the fireground.

Aspiring firefighters on Long Island are fortunate to have Roshan Mathai from the Syosset Fire Department/Syosset Junior Fire Department providing guidance, motivation, emotional support, and role modeling.

An advisor for Syosset’s Junior program and an active firefighter and EMT, Mathai, 22, recognizes the importance of creating a positive environment for the young trainees he works with. His dedicated, nurturing approach to educating the next generation of first responders is something young boys and girls at the firehouse speak about glowingly.

“I’ve never felt more comfortable, understood, and confident than when I trained with Roshan,” said Kyra Kozey, 17, 1st Lieutenant of the Juniors. “He’s not only understanding, but also dedicated to educating the next generation of first responders.”

In his leadership role with the program, which has around 50 members ages 12-17, Mathai helps oversee training activities that provide youth with the foundational skills they need once they become active first responders.  

He also constantly seeks out and coordinates new opportunities such as the Junior Ride Along program, which allows high school students to experience live training as an EMT before they turn 18.

Additionally, the Stony Brook University graduate continually improves his skills so he can pass along as much firematic knowledge to the department’s youngest members as possible. He has garnered every possible certification as a firefighter, attended numerous extra classes at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy, and become certified as an Emergency Medical Technician. Roshan is also a skilled motor pump operator and a chauffeur on every piece of department apparatus, including its tower ladder and rear mount aerial. 

During his time mentoring Syosset Junior Fire Department members, Mathai has used his quiet, confident personality to impact countless lives, especially young women considering entering the heavily male-dominated first responder world.

Kozey, a Syosset High School junior who plans to become a certified interior firefighter/EMT, said Mathai made her voice heard, answered numerous questions, and gave her confidence in her own abilities. He also encouraged her to run for the board of officers at the Nassau County Junior Firefighters Association, an organization made up of over 40 different Junior Firefighter/Explorer organizations from all over Nassau County.

“Whether helping me rehearse my speech, finding the perfect Class A uniform to wear, or navigating the numerous steps of the application and election process, Roshan has been an essential step in my development as a leader among the youth of our community,” she said.

Kevin Edell, who joined Syosset Volunteer Fire Company in 2020 after spending 33 years with the Rockville Centre Fire Department, believes his department is fortunate to have someone of Mathai’s commitment and integrity leading its Junior program.

“Roshan is highly engaged in the program and there to assist those who need help. He’s also able to step back and allow our Junior firefighters to feel as if they are forging their own paths,” he said. “That’s a fine balancing act — one that truly showcases his leadership skills.”

Past Award Recipients

2022	Mary-Catherine Dolan	Bay Shore-Brightwaters Rescue Ambulance Youth Squad
2021	Louis Valentino	Hagerman Fire Department
2020	Fredrick Isgar	Howlett Hill Fire Department
2019	Jerry Presta	East Norwich Fire Co.