Robert Grear:  

I attended grade school at Cooper Lane Elementary School in Prince Georges County Maryland, going on to 7th and part of 8th grade at Bladensburg Junior High School in Bladensburg, Maryland. When my father's job moved to New Jersey in 1969, I finished 8th grade at Somerville Junior High School and then attended Somerville High School, graduating in the Class of 1973. Following High School, I applied and was accepted to the Electronics Engineering Technician program at the RCA Institutes in New York. Unfortunately, they closed their doors before I could start the program. As a result, I made hasty application to Somerset County Technical Institute in Bridgewater and was accepted into their program in time to start in fall of 1973, completing the Electronics Engineering Technician program in June of 1975. After my first year, I was grandfathered into the Somerset County College (now RVCC) Associate in Applied Science program and graduated with my degree in December 1975. During my time at SCTI, I was invited to participate in examinations in order to receive certification through the National Institute for Certification of Engineering Technicians (NICET) which I aced, receiving my Certification a few months following graduation. In the fall of 1973, I joined Engine Company #1 of the Somerville Fire Department. I attended Somerset County Fire School, taking required Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 programs during the next year, and began responding as a firefighter to alarms. Over the ensuing years, I took courses in basic and advanced pump operations and certified as an assistant apparatus operator and began driving the 1980 Mack engine. A few years afterward, I took Fire Officer courses and was elected to serve in Second and First Lieutenant positions with Engine...Expand for more