3 brothers join FDNY for life of service, graduate academy within months of each other | Staten Islanders of 2022
- Published: Dec. 23, 2022, 7:00 a.m.
Editor’s Note: In the news business, every year has its standout stories, newsmakers, villains and heroes.
But in the Staten Island news business, the Advance/SILive.com also has the unique privilege of telling the stories of our neighbors – everyday people doing extraordinary and inspiring things.
In honor of the many Staten Islanders who have shown the best of what the borough is this year, we are highlighting some of the standouts, and honoring them as Staten Island’s Brightest Lights of 2022.
Congratulations to them, and every borough resident who has found their own way to give back, make change, be a role model, inspire others, advocate and/or care about their community in 2022.
From left, Jason Machuca, 23; Daniel Machuca, 28; and Eric Machuca, 25. (Family photo)
Staten Island’s Brightest Lights of 2022: Jason Machuca, Daniel Machuca and Eric Machuca
Their story, summed up:
It was the oldest of the three Machuca brothers, 28-year-old Daniel, who had always wanted to be a firefighter and encouraged his younger brothers to consider the career.
Ironically, Daniel was the last of the three graduate from the FDNY academy, in August. His two younger brothers, Jason, 23, and Eric, 25, had graduated just months prior.
Now, having accomplished the rare feat of three brothers entering the department within months of one another, all the brothers are serving at firehouses in Manhattan.
“I’m very proud of them,” said their grandmother, Ellen Cole. “They are very loving and caring ... They always are helping people.”
There is not a long bloodline of firefighters in their family, explained the mens’ mother Suzette Machuca, who works as a hospital clerk.
Their father, a paramedic, had initially encouraged them to become EMTs, given the brothers’ natural inclination to want to help others.
While her sons have embraced the bond that comes with joining New York City’s Bravest, Suzette said the camaraderie has also brought them closer.
3 brothers join FDNY for life of service, graduate academy within months of each other | Staten Islanders of 2022
"They always are helping people," said the mens' grandmother.
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