Firehouse Magazine Rescue Award Winners for 2002
These winners were recognized in the April, 2003 Issue of Firehouse Magazine.
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| Ackerman, Brian D. | Peebles Dist. Vol. Fire Co. McCandless PA | McGarry, Edward | Chelsea MA FD | Boynton, Jim | Austin TX FD |
| Amerman, Greig | Jersey City, NJ FD | Carroccino, Richard | Chelsea MA FD | Burcham, Russell T. | Miami-Dade FD, Miami FL |
| DeCresce, Philip | Jersey City, NJ FD | Berube, Steven | FDNY | Horne, Robert | Miami-Dade FD, Miami FL |
| Arbuckle, Roger | Detroit FD | Boyd, Michael | Chicago FD | Bycofski, Larry F. II | Columbus, OH FD |
| Arrieta, Angel | Chelsea MA FD | Maloney, Patrick | Chicago FD | Carpenter, James J. | Prince George's County MD FD |
| Better, Robert | Chelsea MA FD | Zinchuk, Roger | Chicago FD | Teague, Bryan M. | Prince George's County MD FD |
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Assistant
Chief Ackerman arrived at the scene of a burning home at 1 AM, before the
arrival of an engine. An
elderly resident told him that her adult son was trapped inside the home. Fully equipped but without a hose line, Ackerman entered the
home and began a search. He
found the unconscious man and dragged him in the direction of a newly
arrived attack team, who helped to bring the victim to safety. The victim made a full recovery. |
Brian D. AckermanPeebles District Volunteer Fire Co.McCandless, PA$100 Award |
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Greig Amerman $100 Award |
Philip DeCresce $100Award |
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Jersey City, NJ, Fire Department Engine 19 |
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Engine 19 responded to a working fire in a 2-½ story residence. Fire was extending from the second floor windows to the attic apartment. As the members of Engine 19 lined in, they were informed by exiting occupants that there was another occupant trapped within the structure with no last known location. While waiting for water on the line, Captain Amerman conducted a quick primary search of the fire floor which proved negative. |
He decided to conduct a primary search of the floor above with Firefighter De Cresce through a rear attic stairwell without the aid of the hose line. In heavy smoke and high heat, Amerman and De Cresce located and removed an unconscious woman from the attic to the street. She survived her injuries. |
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Russell
Arbuckle Detroit Fire Department $100 Award |
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Michael Boyd, Truck 28 $100 Award |
Roger Zinchuk, Engine 83 $100 Award |
Patrick Maloney, Squad 2 $100 Award |
Chicago FD, Chicago, IL |
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On December 6, 2001, members of the Chicago Fire Department responded to a fire that soon expanded to three alarms. Squad 2 was ordered to begin a primary search. Capt. Patrick Maloney of Squad 2 and Firefighter Michael Boyd of Engine 35 began a search of the 3rd floor. Shortly after, all members were ordered out of the third floor. On their way out, the floor collapsed. Maloney and Boyd realized that two other firefighters were trapped by the collapse and saw that the area was engulfed in fire. Nonetheless they reached Lieutenant. Santucci and showed him a way out. Chief Leo Cox had slipped into a void caused by the collapse. Maloney and Boyd tried to drag him out, but fire, smoke and heat impeded their efforts. Boyd was attempting to lift Chief Cox from the rubble when he ran out of air.
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Maloney ordered him to exit the floor and replace his empty air tank. Maloney finally hoisted Chief Cox up from the floor collapse without slipping into the void himself. He dragged the exhausted and severely injured chief to the stair well. There, Chief Steve Chickerotis helped carry Chief Cox to an awaiting ambulance. During the entire course of the rescue and removal of both firefighters, Lieutenant Roger Zinchuk of Engine 83 played a stream of water over the firefighters, despite the imminence of further collapse and exhaustion of his own air supply. The lack of air and injuries had forced the rest of his crew to leve the building.
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Angel Arrieta, Engine 3 $100 Award |
Robert Better, Ladder 2 Honorable Mention |
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Edward McGarry, Ladder 2 Honorable Mention |
Richard Carroccino, Tower Ladder 1 Honorable Mention |
Chelsea, MA, FD |
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Chelsea firefighters arrived at the
scene of a working fire on the second floor of a three story brick veneer
apartment building. There were
reports of victims trapped inside. Captain Robert Better of Ladder 2 entered
a third floor apartment from a 35 foot ground ladder to reach two occupants
trapped directly above the fire. Firefighter Angel Arrieta of Engine
3 entered the structure via the stairs, passing the fire on the second floor
to assist Captain Better with rescue operations on the third floor. Arrieta
shared his SCBA with the two victims. The child was passed out the window to
Firefighter Edward McGarry on the 35-foot ground ladder. He carried the
child down the ladder to the street. |
Firefighter Richard Carroccino had now set up his Tower One aerial ladder into position at the third floor window. Captain Better passed the woman out the window to him, and he removed her to the ground for emergency medical care. Better and Arrieta continued to search the third floor apartments, operating at great risk above the fire. They located another woman and child. Carroccino again maneuvered the rescue bucket of Tower One into position at this window, and Better and Arrieta passed the victims to him. He moved them to the ground for emergency medical care and removal to the hospital. |
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Russell L. Burcham, Rescue 14 $100 Award |
Robert Horne, $100 Award |
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department, Miami FL |
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Lieutenant
Burcham and Firefighter Horne were dispatched to an apartment fire in South
Miami. They were informed of a
trapped civilian in the second floor fire apartment.
Although a charged hose line was not yet available, the severity of
the conditions made an immediate primary search necessary.
They found an unconscious young woman and dragged her thirty feet
through the cluttered apartment in zero visibility.
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In the
course of the rescue they shared their SCBA masks with the victim to
provide her with oxygen. Outside
the building they provided first aid until her transport to a hospital.
She recovered fully from her injuries.
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On the morning of April 5, 2002 a fire was reported on the second floor of a private dwelling. Engine 275 and Ladder 133 responded from quarters. Lieutenant Steven Berube of Ladder 133 observed heavy fire venting from a first floor rear window. Civilians outside stated there were people trapped on the first and second floors. Berube entered the front door and met a civilian crouching on the stairs leading to the second floor, who stated that everyone was out from the second floor. He entered the first floor apartment and initiated a search, assisted by his crew. They encountered a large number of boxes and pieces of furniture. Struggling through this debris, they continued their search in zero visibility. Berube located a partially blocked hallway and encountered intense heat from the rear of the apartment. Fire had control of the entire kitchen and was coming down the hall toward him. Driven back, he returned to the living room and informed Capt. Snow of Engine 275 that he had located the fire and directed him where to operate a hose line. The line was still in the process of being stretched and had not yet entered the building. At this point a bedroom flashed over and erupted in flame. Fire was vented from this bedroom and the kitchen into the hallway. Berube knew he could not wait for a charged line to search for a trapped victim. He crawled under the fire overhead toward the back of the building for a final quick search. Between the two fully involved rooms, adjacent to the bathroom, he located the unconscious body of an elderly man. He shielded the unconscious man and hurriedly dragged him toward the front of the building under a ceiling rolling with fire. At the living room He rejoined his crew and met the crew from Engine 275. The jumble of furniture did not allow the crews to make room for Berube and the victim. Both crews now backed out of the house, allowing Berube and a member of Ladder 133 to carry the victim to the street. As Berube initiated first aid, Engine 275 resumed their push on the fire. The victim was transported to the hospital and narrowly survived his ordeal.
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Steven
Berube Ladder 133 FDNY Queens, NY $100 Award |
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Jim
Boynton Rescue 21 Austin, TX, FD $100 Award |
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On the morning of December 1, 2001 the crews of Station 22 were dispatched to a trailer fire. On their arrival the front half of the trailer was fully involved. Bystanders shouted that a man was trapped. The trailer’s windows were to small for ingress, so Engine 22 attacked through the flame filled front door with a 2 ½ inch line. Firefighter Larry F. Bycofski of Ladder 22 grabbed a chainsaw from his rig and cut a large hole in the trailer adjacent to the rear bedroom. Ignoring the sudden rush of smoke and fire, he entered the bedroom, found an unconscious man, and together with other members of Ladder 22 dragged him to safety. The victim was given first aid and transported to the hospital. After two months in the hospital he returned to his normal activities. |
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Larry F.
Bycofski II,Ladder 22 Columbus, OH, Division of Fire $100 Award |
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No Picture |
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James J. Carpenter $100 Award |
Bryan M. Teague Honorable mention |
Prince George's County, MD, FD Station 33 |
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Volunteer
Firefighters James J. Carpenter and Bryan M. Teague were returning from a
medical call when they spotted a burning 2 ½ story duplex house.
The rear of the house was heavily involved, with fire and smoke
extending from the basement to the second floor.
The owner of the house was standing outside and informed them that no
one was in the structure. Carpenter and Teague decided to conduct a primary search
despite her statement. |
They passed
the attack crew, climbed to the second floor, and began a search.
From the rear bedroom Carpenter heard the cries of a child.
He entered, found a ten year old boy, and assisted by Teague
carried him outside the house. The
boy was transported to a hospital and made a full recovery from his
injuries.
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