Firehouse Magazine Rescue Award Winners for 1999
These winners were recognized in the April, 2000 Issue of Firehouse Magazine.
Return to 1997 Directory of Winners | Return to Home Page | Return to Hall of Heroes Page
|1998 Directory of Winners| Table of Contents Page | 2000 Directory of Winners | 2001 Directory of Winners
Switch to the Firehouse Magazine Web Site: http://www.Firehouse.com
Page 1
| Paul D. Martin | Hudson Falls, NY FD | Ronald Balchunas | Elysburg, PA FD | Jeremiah M. Lucey | Worcester, MA FD |
| John J. Pritchard | FDNY, Brooklyn, NY | George Herrold | Elysburg, PA FD | Thomas E. Spencer | Worcester, MA FD |
| Matthew P. Moseley | Atlanta FD | Edward Payeskie | Elysburg, PA FD | Timothy P. Jackson | Worcester, MA FD |
| Burl Hunt | Cedar Rapids, IA FD | Richard E. Young | Shreveport, LA FD | James F. Lyons | Worcester, MA FD |
| Charles Crowley, Jr. | Chelsea, Ma FD | John Cook | Allen Township, OH FD | Joseph T. McGuirk | Worcester, MA FD |
| Francis X. Sperl | East Hartford, CT FD | Elby Bushong | Phoenix, AZ FD | Duke Arrington | Mesa, AZ FD |
| David Birmingham | Seattle FD | Paul A. Brotherton | Worcester, MA FD | Michael Barnard | Hampton, CT FD |
 |
On Aug. 27, 1999,
Assistant Chief Paul D. Martin responded to a structure fire. He observed
a heavy fire on the first floor of a two-story multiple dwelling. The fire
had already vented through the windows of a small covered porch. Police
officers on the scene confirmed that an elderly woman was in a room on the
first floor, accessible only via the porch that now was nearly completely
involved in fire.
Knowing that there was a victim inside the fire room, Martin refused to give up. He maneuvered onto the porch and into the fire room without the protection of a hoseline. Once in the fire room, he crawled on the floor, pinned down by the intense heat. Martin pushed on to locate the victim. He found the badly burned and unconscious woman lying on the floor near the foot of her bed. He dragged her back across the area he had just traversed. By now the heat had ignited his protective clothing. Mustering his last bit of energy, Chief Martin dragged the woman through the doorway and passed her to fellow firefighters, who then carried her to a waiting ambulance. She had suffered third-degree bums over 80% of her body. It wasn’t until he doffed his protective clothing that Martin became aware of the extent of his own injuries. He had suffered second- and third-degree burns to his lower back, hip, ears and face. He was treated by rescue squad personnel and transported to Glens Falls Hospital for further treatment. He required surgery and grafts to assist in healing. |
| Paul D. Martin, Hudson Falls, NY, FD |
 |
On July 24, 1998, at 11:01 P.M Engine 255
responded to a telephone alarm for an odor of smoke. The building was
a six-story tenement. A frantic woman met Captain Pritchard in the street,
screaming that her baby “was trapped in the fire.” On the fourth floor
it was obvious from the smoke and heat pushing from around the door where
the fire was located.
Pritchard asked the woman to tell him exactly where the baby was in the apartment. Hysterical, she said the baby was in the room with the fire, to the left of the entrance. He ordered the members of Engine 255 to stretch a hoseline to the fourth floor. He tried to force open the door, but was unsuccessful. As he continued to try to force the door, he noticed through the choking smoke that the keys were still in the lock. As he opened the door, conditions forced him to his hands and knees. He started into the apartment, following the woman’s instructions, and was immediately met by high heat and heavy smoke. As he moved toward the bedroom, he could see the fire through the black smoke issuing from the bedroom entrance door, and he realized that the fire had complete control of the room. He entered the room crawling on his stomach, trying to stay under the heat and flames. As he was being driven back by the heavy fire and extreme heat, he heard the crying of an infant. Despite being severely burned at this point, Pritchard continued into the room toward the sound of the crying baby. At the far end of the room he reached a playpen with the baby in it. Desperate to remove the baby and escape the fire, he tried to reach over the top of the playpen to grab her, but the intense fire now venting out two windows just above the playpen forced him back onto his stomach. Realizing that it was impossible to remove the baby from the playpen, he grabbed it and started back toward the door. He dragged the playpen more than 15 feet through the room, now completely involved in fire. Severely burned and exhausted, he reached the door to the public hallway and could hear Ladder 157’s forcible entry team approaching. He called for assistance and Firefighters King and Shea pulled the playpen into the hallway, where the 10-month-old child was removed. The child, badly burned but breathing, was removed to the street for medical attention. Captain Pritchard and 10-month-old Shadee Brophete were transported to New York Hospital Cornell Burn Center. Both were admitted with severe second-degree burns. |
John J. Pritchard, FDNY, Brooklyn, NY |
 |
On April 12, 1999
units were dispatched to a structure fire at the Fulton Bag and Cotton
Mill complex. The first units on the scene reported a large trash fire
measuring 10 feet by 20 feet on the fifth floor. Conditions deteriorated
rapidly, causing all of the first-alarm companies to abandon the initial
effort and literally run for their lives. Squad 4 was assigned the task of
attempting to rescue a construction worker who was trapped 225 feet above
the fire in a crane. With a Department of Natural Resources helicopter,
and an experienced pilot navigator, Squad 4 went to work.
This type of rescue had never before been made by the squad. Firefighter Matthew P. Moseley was selected as the rescuer. His crew members harnessed him up with rope and extra gear. They attached a 70-foot section of one-inch nylon rope to Moseley and to the anchor point on the helicopter. The pilot lifted Moseley off the ground and headed for the fire. After flying past the crane and around the fire building to test the effect the thermal column of the fire and the wind would have on the rescue attempt, the pilot brought Moseley close to the crane. Moseley grabbed the crane and climbed aboard. He quickly scrambled to the victim and told him not to touch him. He then dressed the victim in a quick harness, attached him to his harness and gave the thumbs-up sign to the pilot to lift off. Moseley and the victim embraced each other, then were lowered to the ground, safe and sound without further complications. |
Matthew P. Moseley, Atlanta, GA FD |
 |
On July 20, 1999, Firefighter Hunt, while off duty, attempted to come to the aid of a gasoline tanker driver who had driven his rig off Interstate 80 near Atalissa. The vehicle came to rest on its side in a ditch; the driver was slumped over the steering wheel. Gasoline was leaking from the trailer. Firefighter Hunt went to the man’s aid and attempted to open the cab to free him from his seatbelt. Before Hunt could accomplish this task, the trailer containing the volatile liquid exploded, killing the driver. Hunt was blown free of the wreckage and managed to crawl away from the inferno. His heroic efforts resulted in severe burns to his legs and right arm. Hunt remained off duty for over four months while recovering from his burn injuries over 19% of his body. |
Burl Hunt, Cedar Rapids, IA FD |
 |
On Jan. 14, 1999, Acting Captain Charles Crowley, Jr. of Tower Ladder 1 led a search and rescue team to the second floor of a 2 1/2 -story wood-frame dwelling, under extreme heat and smoke conditions. Shortly thereafter, a flashover occurred, engulfing several rooms in heavy fire and burning a member of his team. Despite these difficult obstacles Acting Captain Crowley searched a front bedroom and located a near-lifeless child. He carried the 7-year-old boy to a window and passed him to his brother, Lieutenant Kevin Crowley of Engine 1. Resuscitation efforts began and the youth was subsequently transported to the hospital. Acting Captain Crowley’s courageous actions and perseverance undoubtedly saved the child’s life. |
Charles Crowley, Jr., Chelsea, MA FD |
 |
On
June 10, 1999, companies responded to a house fire with multiple victims
reported trapped. Initial crews located two adults and two children, all
in cardiac arrest and suffering from burns or smoke inhalation.
Firefighter Sperl continued to conduct a primary search for additional
victims. To access a bedroom it was necessary to pass the main hallway.
Flames were coming out the front bedroom into the hallway. Firefighter
Sperl needed to pass through this area to reach the rear bedrooms, where
additional victims were trapped. Ventilation and suppression efforts were
being initiated at this time, but had not yet occurred at the time. He had
to act quickly.
Sperl entered the bedroom. Visibility was zero. Search was conducted by feel only. Locating a crib, he found an infant inside. He protected the infant and removed him from the building. The infant was in respiratory arrest. Because of the number of victims, there were no ambulances available. Sperl started mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and took an oxygen tank from Tower 1 and directed a police officer to drive them to the hospital. Firefighter Sperl’s recognition of the severity of the infant’s condition and the need for immediate transportation to the hospital directly resulted in the infant’s survival
|
Francis X. Sperl, East Hartford, CT FD |
 |
While off
duty on Nov. 27, 1998, Firefighter Birmingham was heading to downtown
Seattle to go shopping with his family. As he approached the Aurora
Bridge, he noticed a dust cloud. An articulating Metro Transit bus had
just plunged some 50-60 feet off the bridge, crashing into an
apartment building and landing on the ground below. A gunman had shot the
bus driver, then turned the gun on himself There were 35 people on the
bus.
Before the arrival of the first Seattle fire units, Firefighter Birmingham was able to disentangle a group of passengers in front of the bus, which was atop a dying passenger. He pried open a door to free passengers and removed a window to let other passengers escape. He initiated patient triage and organized bystanders to assist in the rescue efforts. He then provided critical mass-casualty information to the first-arriving fire units. After the arrival of fire units, Firefighter Birmingham continued to assist in treating and moving patients. |
David Birmingham, Seattle, WA FD |
 |
Three companies were called to a report of a structure fire at 4:16 AM. on April 11, 1999. The burning house was in a rural area off a dirt road four miles from the nearest fire station. The fire had been smoldering for several hours and created an extremely hazardous smoke condition. The smoldering fire grew in intensity and smoke had banked down to floor level. The occupant had speech difficulties and was in a wheelchair. First arriving Chiefs Ronald Balchunas and Edward Payeskie and Paramedic George Herrold forced entry into the structure without the benefit of protective clothing or breathing apparatus due to the urgency of rescuing the trapped victim. The three entered, searched and located the victim. They revived and rescued the woman, who was near death when she was found. |
Ronald Balchunas, Elysburg, PA FD |
 |
Three companies were called to a report of a structure fire at 4:16 AM. on April 11, 1999. The burning house was in a rural area off a dirt road four miles from the nearest fire station. The fire had been smoldering for several hours and created an extremely hazardous smoke condition. The smoldering fire grew in intensity and smoke had banked down to floor level. The occupant had speech difficulties and was in a wheelchair. First arriving Chiefs Ronald Balchunas and Edward Payeskie and Paramedic George Herrold forced entry into the structure without the benefit of protective clothing or breathing apparatus due to the urgency of rescuing the trapped victim. The three entered, searched and located the victim. They revived and rescued the woman, who was near death when she was found. |
George Herrold, Elysburg, PA FD |
 |
Three companies were called to a report of a structure fire at 4:16 AM. on April 11, 1999. The burning house was in a rural area off a dirt road four miles from the nearest fire station. The fire had been smoldering for several hours and created an extremely hazardous smoke condition. The smoldering fire grew in intensity and smoke had banked down to floor level. The occupant had speech difficulties and was in a wheelchair. First arriving Chiefs Ronald Balchunas and Edward Payeskie and Paramedic George Herrold forced entry into the structure without the benefit of protective clothing or breathing apparatus due to the urgency of rescuing the trapped victim. The three entered, searched and located the victim. They revived and rescued the woman, who was near death when she was found. |
Edward Payeskie, Elysburg, PA FD |
 |
Responding to a
fire in a one-story dwelling on October 19, 1999, Captain Richard E. Young
observed that the blaze involved the kitchen, bedroom, living room and
attic. Neighbors attempted to rescue a trapped victim, but were driven
back by heavy smoke and heat. Young entered a rear window and under heavy
heat and smoke and without protection of a hoseline he removed the victim,
who was suffering from smoke inhalation.
|
Richard E. Young, Shreveport, LA FD |
 |
While battling a cornfield fire that covered 150 acres on September 9, 1999, two firefighters were using a grass firefighting rig, together with many other units. Two firefighters -- John Cook and Lance Emberling -- encountered heavy smoke. The rig stalled, and the air in Firefighter Cook’s breathing apparatus ran out, as did the water tank on the truck. Cook told Emberling to abandon the vehicle. Emberling made a radio call to command, indicating they were in trouble. While leaving the area, Firefighter Emberling dropped a piece of gear and returned to get it. Momentarily disoriented, he became surrounded by flames and smoke. Cook realized his colleague was not with him and returned for him, only to find him being overcome. He checked Emberling for injuries and assisted him to safety. Firefighter Cook was transported to a hospital, where he remained overnight. Firefighter Emberling was hospitalized for three days. |
John Cook, Allen Township, OH FD |
 |
On December 28,
1998, Juan Cardoza stood outside his home and watched Phoenix firefighters
battle an inferno that took the lives of his wife and one of his
daughters, leaving him and his surviving children to put their lives and
home back together. Items salvaged from the fire were stolen. A contractor
received $63,000 of the insurance money to rebuild the home, but never
finished it. Captain Elby Bushong, who had battled the fire, heard about
the plight of the Cardoza family and, along with fellow firefighters,
began soliciting contractors for donations. They soon amassed a stable of
volunteers to help Cardoza rebuild his life.
Bushong found a general contractor, plumbing supply company, electrical company, cabinet manufacturer, roofing and drywall supplies, landscaping, and furnishings. He set up a fund for donations to assist the family. This was an outstanding effort in time, energy, dedication and hard work for the Cardoza family as well as for the Phoenix community.
|
Elby Bushong, Phoenix, AZ FD |
 |
 |
 |
Paul A. Brotherton |
Jeremiah M. Lucey |
Thomas E. Spencer |
 |
 |
 |
Timothy P. Jackson |
James F. Lyons |
Joseph T. McGuirk |
Worcester, MA FD FD |
| On December
3, 1999, Firefighters Paul A. Brotherton and Jeremiah M. Lucey responded
to Box 1438 struck for a fire at the Worcester Cold Storage Building, 266
Franklin St. Receiving a report from a police officer on the scene that
two homeless persons were known by local residents to be in the building,
the two members of Rescue 1 entered the structure. They proceeded to the
upper floors of the windowless six story structure to conduct a primary
search and locate the missing occupants. They moved deep into the building
more than 175 feet from the only stairway connecting all floors and
through the only doorway connecting both sides of the structure.
Conditions suddenly turned to zero visibility with dense smoke. Unable to find their way out through the smoke, the firefighters radioed their situation and location. Despite heroic efforts to rescue them, they were not removed until eight days after the box was struck. Firefighters Lucey and Brotherton, without regard for their personal safety, entered the building to rescue reported trapped occupants. Operating above the fire and without protection of a hoseline they pushed deep into a web of maze-like compartments to save people they believed to be trapped. This unselfish heroic act cost both men their live |
Available members and the third-alarm assignment were deployed as a rapid intervention team. The were given the assignment to form into a search group and sweep the fifth floor for Brotherton and Lucey. The team proceeded in zero visibility to the fifth floor above the fire without the protection of a hoseline. Despite rising temperatures and deteriorating conditions, they moved on to the floor to answer the “Mayday” and low- air alarms of their brothers. All four men pushed deeper into the unforgiving darkness of the maze-like large area inside the abandoned cold-storage building with only the aid of search ropes and their unselfish determination to rescue their brothers. Contact with the rescue team was lost and the expanding fire claimed the lives of these brave men. Lieutenant Thomas Spencer and Firefighters Timothy P. Jackson, James F. Lyons and Joseph T. McGuirk, without regard for their own safety, entered the “Building from Hell” in a display of unbelievable courage to rescue their missing comrades. They gave their lives in response to the “Mayday” of their brothers. Their actions shall be remembered forever, for no greater love than this can be given by one man to another. |
 |
Duke Arrington has been a paramedic for Mesa Fire Department since 1982, back when body substance isolation standards were not a requirement. He was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, a blood-borne disease, in August of 1999. He thinks he tracked the disease back to 1987 when he accidentally pricked his finger with a patient’s needle. Now he has also passed the disease on to his wife. Duke is four months into a 12-month, highly aggressive drug therapy. The drugs are similar to chemotherapy and they produce the same nausea, fatigue, lack of appetite, hair loss, irritability, depression and muscle and joint pains. Once in peak physical condition, a flight of stairs takes the wind from him and he cannot keep on any weight. His wife will soon begin the same arduous treatment. It is a rarity indeed to find someone so capable of heroism in every aspect of his life, not just in a moment of adrenaline, but with an ongoing pervasive attitude of courage. Throughout his life and career he has cared for his customers, his co-workers and his family and he has put their needs before his own. He has faced danger and hardship with confidence and resolution |
Duke Arrington, Mesa, AZ FD |
 |
On May 30 , 1999 at
10 :45 pm the Hampton Volunteer Fire Company learned of an auto accident
on U.S. Route 6 East. Firefighter Barnard was sleeping at home when
the call came in. The location of the incident was between his house and
the fire station, so he decided to report directly to the accident..
Donning his gear, except his gloves, he found a vehicle in a guard rail
with fire in the engine and dash. Passersby were standing around.
He saw a semi-conscious woman in the back seat. The doors to the vehicle would not open, but the front passenger window was opened a crack. Barnard pulled it toward him and broke it. He swept the glass free, reached into the car and pulled the woman out. As he removed her to safety the car exploded into flames. The woman suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns to her feet and lower legs. She and Firefighter Barnard were hospitalized. Barnard was released with minor injuries. The woman recovered from her burns. Had he not responded directly, Patty Ross probably would have died in the car, as it was 2 minutes after her rescue when fire apparatus arrived on the scene. |
Michael Barnard, Hampton, CT FD |
Return to 1997 Directory of Winners | Return to Home Page | Return to Hall of Heroes Page
|1998 Directory of Winners| Return to Top of Page | Table of Contents Page