Lt. Phil DeSimone promoted to captain of Pelham Fire Department

March 15, 2022

Lt. Phil DeSimone takes the oath of his new rank as captain of the Pelham Fire Department.

Pelham Fire Department Lt. Phil DeSimone was promoted to captain, making the 11-year veteran the second in command of the PFD.

He is also the second person in the department’s history to hold the rank of captain. Chief Robert Benkwitt III was the first prior to his promotion to head the department.

The resolution approving DeSimone’s move up in rank was approved March 8 by Village of Pelham board.

Pelham Fire Department Capt. Phil DeSimone (right) holds the helmet insignia for his new rank with Chief Robert Benkwitt III.

DeSimone has been a lieutenant for six years and is currently the department’s safety officer.

He “is a lifelong Pelham resident with deep roots in the Pelham community,” according to a post on the Pelham Professional Firefighters Local 2213 Facebook page. “He is a product of the Pelham school system and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Concordia College in business administration.”

DeSimone is one of department’s in-house bailout instructors, working with firefighters to certify them on the proper use of their personal safety systems, the post said.