DC ExtraTime: Nicole and New York's Bravest

Following is an excerpt a DCBLOG WRAP during The Challenge Invasion 
from earlier this year, reposted in the interest of our readers.

BY DC CUEVA                     
■ @DC408Dxtr  @ TW / IG / YT

For Nicole, she has had a stellar rookie campaign on The Challenge in making it all the way to the end and being this close to the final... that is, what we think it might be. The question now is of whether she overcomes the favorite in Camila after her elimination upset and other fellow Underdog Ashley in the final, and of course that remains up in the air in Thailand.
   But we know one thing: she is already a winner in gaining a famous girlfriend in Laurel, and she might be on the verge of big things to come as far as her Challenge career is concerned. And as the lone remaining first-timer left in this season full of fresh faces, she should have my vote for Rookie of the Year when we get to hand out our season-end awards on the mid-year Reality Debrief in about a month from now. But as I always say, first things first comes career, and there's the day job Nicole has in the Big Apple that will make you love and appreciate her that much more.

Nicole, 3rd from right, with the 
six FDNY Fire Academy graduate 
women (FDNY Facebook)

The Fire Department of the City of New York is the largest municipal fire department in the western hemisphere, and the world's second-largest firefighting force behind only Tokyo. More than 10,200 firefighters, nearly 4,000 EMT's, paramedics & fire inspectors, and more than 1,000 civilians work for the FDNY. And there are 10 divisions, 53 battalions, 255 stations, 200 engines and 143 trucks on standby for a region that has 8 million people living throughout the Tri-State Area.
   For the events that took place that September day sixteen years ago, it was the Fire Department who suffered the greatest loss of life of any one family: 343 firefighters and fire chief Peter Ganci perished in the World Trade Center when they fought bravely to not only fight fires inside, but save as many lives as they can at Ground Zero. 9/11 was, obviously, one of the worst days so many of us have ever experienced, but it was when the department's motto "New York's Bravest" meant so much more.

Nicole, 3rd from left, with the female graduate class
(New York Daily News)

When we met her originally on Real World Skeletons over two years ago, Nicole was working as an EMT on Staten Island. This meant that those who worked there had to be strong to handle the rigors of a job saving lives in that part of New York connected only by the Verrazano–Narrows Bridge and the famous Staten Island Ferry...an island with 475,000 people living there including Marie, Mike from AYTO 5, and Vinny and Angelina from Jersey Shore.
   Concurrent with being part of this Challenge, Nicole has been working with the FDNY Fire Academy on Randall's Island the past four months. At The Academy, she learned how to respond to fire and medical emergencies, dealing with hazardous materials and to do building inspections in this, the nation's largest city and where there are four other boroughs where anything can possibly happen.
   And last week, she and five other women -- Cassandra Colletti, Carla Mendoza, Mickea Pinckney, Shannon Maloney, and Constance Fripp -- joined nearly 300 other Probationary Firefighters for graduation day in Brooklyn as they took their oaths and become the newest members of New York's bravest. Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro noted the milestone of those six women joining a list of a record number of female firefighters--63--in the department's roll call, which also includes 37% of them being of color - reflecting the cultural melting pot New York is renowned for.

Twitter @N_ZanattaMTV

   In being the most famous member of her graduation class, Nicole told the New York Daily News, "I could not have done it without the women next to me." Queens native Pinckney added, "It was challenging for everyone. I’m proud of myself and everyone who made it." Stories of others going through this coming of age moment also included a firefighter whose dad was killed in the Twin Towers on 9/11, class valedictorian Thomas Butler saying "I think we all hit the lottery" when he dreamt of becoming a NYC firefighter, and 38 military veterans deciding to further their status of being true heroes in becoming firefighters.
   Laurel, Jenna and, of course, the Zanatta family were among those in the audience in Brooklyn seeing Nicole go through this moment of becoming a FDNY firefighter. One notable Staten Islander and member of Team MTV who wasn't there in, as we like to say around here, getting set to jet off on a spring vacation out of town, had this to say to her fellow resident:

@MarieeTBD: "Shoutout to @ChallengeMTV @mtv very own @n_zanattaMTV for joining the ultimate #wolfpack ... the #FDNY !!! Represent us ladies Nic!! 🔥🔥🔥"
● @n_zanattaMTV: "@MarieeTBD @ChallengeMTV @MTV Thank you for that xoxo miss you and I can't wait to start this new chapter :)"

Whether or not we'll see Nicole on a second Challenge after what sure looks to be an appearance in a final in her first season, we will leave that decision in her hands. But she's already winning for taking up a profession that a lot of kids aspire to be: fighting fires, rescuing people when their lives are at risk, and saving lives when the time for help is most needed. There is so much more to the profession that the youngsters think is easy, but it sure isn't. And there comes a great responsibility of donning a uniform tens of thousands do every day in the New York City Fire Department. Now Nicole is one of those lucky people to have that nice day job in the Big Apple.

- I AM DC

Updated 1/27/18 with additional media not included in original post