2004 Olympic gold medalist and rowing world record holder Jason Read (Ringoes, N.J.) will march in the January 20 Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C. A member of the U.S. men's eight squad that stood atop the podium in Athens, Greece, Read is one of 32 firefighters from across the United States invited by the Lincoln Highway Memorial Association to participate in the festivities surrounding the second inauguration of President George W. Bush. Read, who is Chief of the Amwell Valley Rescue Squad, plans to wear his Olympic gold medal as he marches alongside a classic fire truck on the parade route.
On September 11, 2001, Read was appointed communications officer on the Liberty State Park Command staff for all incoming New Jersey fire and rescue units operating in Jersey City following the World Trade Center attacks. He also worked alongside federal and local officials to establish command and treatment areas at the base of the World Financial Center towers.
"As an Olympic champion and young rescue and EMS chief, it is with great honor that I accepted this invitation to march in the Inaugural Parade, " Read said. "It's wonderful to see that 2,000 years on...the Olympic spirit is alive and well. Over the past three years I've witnessed the ugliest side of the human existence while working at Ground Zero. Now, as an Olympian, I have the privilege of living the absolute best part of the human experience; winning a gold medal for my country, setting a world record, and competing in the historical city of Athens where democracy and the Olympics began. Not only will it be very exciting to represent the fire and rescue services of our country in front of the First Family, but to also represent our Olympic team at an event that celebrates liberty and democracy. This grand Olympic odyssey continues."
Read has been a member of his hometown rescue squad since 1993, and in 1999, at the age of 21, became the youngest elected Chief officer in New Jersey. In addition to managing a $90,000 annual budget and directing the 38-member non-profit department, Read functions as incident commander at all scenes and has responded to more than 1200 emergency calls. An active fireman since 1995, Read also initiated and executed a comprehensive fund raising and cost cutting control program that has generated more than $250,000 since 1996, and solidified the finances for a new headquarters costing $1.5 million.
A graduate of Temple University, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Economics and Finance, Read is also a 911 Communications Dispatcher for Capital Health System at central New Jersey's largest hospital-based public/private sector 911 operations center.
Read began his rowing career in 1993. A four-year rower in Varsity 8 at Temple, he was squad captain and an All-American in 2000. As a nine-time member of the national rowing team, Read has traveled to 11 countries while representing the USA as an elite athlete. In addition to the world record and Olympic gold medal, his international achievements include a silver medal in the eight at the 2003 FISA World Cup Championships in Milan, Italy, a silver medal in the eight at the 1998 Nation's Cup (Under-23 World Championships) and a gold medal at the 1999 championship.
Among Read's numerous awards is an honorary 'Arete' for Lifetime Accomplishment in Sport, which was presented on Thanksgiving Day 2001 by CBS broadcasters John McEnroe and Jim Nantz in recognition of Read's work at Ground Zero in September 2001.