Firefighter Anthony Pought Celebrates 20 Years of the FDNY High School

Captain Vernon A. Richard High School for Fire and Life Safety is marking its 20th anniversary. In honor of this milestone, Join FDNY is sharing the inspiring stories of some of its exceptional alumni who have continued their journey by joining the Department.

One day can alter the course of a person’s life. For Firefighter Anthony Pought, that moment came as a freshman at the high school when he participated in Firefighter for a Day at the Fire Academy on Randall’s Island. He remembers the day clearly.

“We got to the Academy, we put on the bunker gear. They helped us put it on, the gloves and stuff like that. And as I’m putting on the gloves, I’m like, ‘Oh, man, this is real,’” said Pought. “They let us do some of the evolutions, forcible entry, the rope with the LSR (Life Saving Rope), the car fire. I remember taking turns on the nozzle, feeling the heat. We were having a good time trying to put out the fire. That moment right there, I was like yeah, I definitely want to be a firefighter.”

Pought was introduced to the EMT program at the high school, which gave him a path forward to pursue his dream. After graduating in 2010, he enrolled in the EMS Academy.

“The high school prepared us for the EMS Academy above and beyond. The instructors would teach us the whole EMT program so when I entered, I knew a lot of the instructors, and it wasn’t too difficult for me because we had studied the material in the high school program.”

Pought was an FDNY EMT for seven years before entering the Fire Academy where he graduated in April 2018. He was assigned to Station 35 in Harlem, where he has served for the past seven years. Reflecting on his journey, Pough credits his high school for helping him achieve his goal.

“What do I love best about being a firefighter? My family’s proud of me. Coming to work, my second family here, driving a fire truck, being a nozzle firefighter, putting out the fires. Helping people on their worst days.”