New York City | Firefighter reunited with mother and daughter he rescued
(L to R) FF Paul Hoekzema, FF Denis Keating, Lt. Terry Ward, Simone Roberts (seated), Rehanna Roberts, Alayna Roberts, FF Patrick Griffin, FF Edward Vreeland and FF Thomas Brogan.
Ladder 32 | 14 Feb 2012
Firefighter Patrick Griffin from Ladder 32 said he was thrilled when he got three extra special visitors at the firehouse in February.
Simone Roberts and her two daughters, Rehanna, 5, and Alayna, 3, stopped by to thank the hero that saved the mother and 5-year-old girl from a fire just days before.
“I was a little choked up when I met them,” Firefighter Griffin said. “It’s emotional when you see their faces . you know you did something right.”
Ms. Roberts’ eyes filled with tears as they sat in the firehouse kitchen and talked about what happened that night.
“Thank you, thank you; that’s all I can say,” she said, smiling at her two girls who were holding bouquets of pink roses and daisies given to them by Firefighter Griffin.
Ms. Roberts said she could not remember how she woke up the night of Jan. 26, but recalls seeing the smoke and feeling the heat of the fire. Immediately she said she found Alayna, broke the window and shouted for help.
Firefighter Griffin was on duty when his company – including Lt. Terry Ward, and Firefighters Tom Brogan, Paul Hoekzema, Denis Keating and Eddie Vreeland – responded to the fire on Bartholdi St. in the Bronx at 9:30 p.m. He remembered the street smelling like smoke as they rounded the corner to the building that night.
People on the street were screaming that there were people trapped inside, and as they climbed the stairs to the top floor of the two-story residence, others said the same.
The apartment was filled with thick smoke and high heat. Firefighter Griffin said he and other members of Ladder 32 crawled past the fire in the kitchen into a back bedroom, where he found the mother and daughter – Ms. Roberts said her husband was working that night and she had dropped Alayna out the window to some Good Samaritans below before fire units arrived.
Ms. Roberts was semi-conscious and Rehanna was unconscious when they were found – and the mother was clutching to her daughter.
Firefighter Griffin said he thought of his own children – ages 8 years, 5 years and 5-months – when doing the search.
“She just kept saying, ‘my baby, my baby,’” Firefighter Griffin said, making him concerned there was another child inside.
Firefighter Patrick Griffin with Rehanna, the 5-year-old girl he saved from a fire.
After successfully removing them from the apartment, firefighters did another search, to ensure there were no one else was in the apartment.
They were transported by EMS to Jacobi Medical Center and Rehanna spent five days in the hyperbaric unit.
“There are so many times that the outcome is not so positive,” said Lt. Ward, who has three children of his own. “When everything comes together and works out this way, it feels great.”
After snacking on pink and blue iced donuts at the firehouse, the mother and two girls headed to their school, just a block from their old home.
As she walked out of the firehouse, Ms. Roberts said, “I’m so grateful for them and what they do.”
New York City | FDNY mourns the passing of former EMS Chief John McFarland
New York City | 9 Feb 2012
EMS Assistant Chief John McFarland, who served the EMS Command for more than 28 years and led many innovations that changed nationwide emergency medical services, died on Feb. 6 after battling a brain tumor.
“He was a forward thinker whose work will be helping New Yorkers for years to come,” said Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano.
Former Chief of EMS Robert McCracken added: “The things that stand out to me were his leadership qualities as a visionary and patient advocate. He always looked into technology to improve performance and patient care.”
Chief McFarland joined EMS as an EMT in 1983. He studied to become a paramedic in 1985 and was assigned to cover Manhattan. Four years later, he was promoted to lieutenant. He worked in Operations and Training before being promoted again – to captain – in 1997.
He held different positions both at FDNY Headquarters and the EMS Academy before being promoted to Deputy Chief in 2001. He then served as Chief of the Academy and Chief of Division 4. He then became Queens Borough Commander in 2003, followed by Deputy Assistant Chief of Field Operations in 2004. He retired in 2011.
In his time with EMS, he responded to many notable incidents, including the World Trade Center terrorist attacks of 1993 and 2001, US Airways Flight 1549 that landed on the Hudson, two plane crashes at LaGuardia Airport and the steam pipe explosion in Midtown Manhattan.
“He was a pioneer, striving for top-quality medical care that anyone could provide on the street, as well as the most up-to-date medical care,” said FDNY Chief Medical Officer David Prezant. “He wanted to make sure that the FDNY EMS Command was the best in the world.”
He added that Chief McFarland was always pushing for the FDNY to make use of the latest innovations and technologies, including STEMI and hypothermia therapy. He also never forgot what it was like to work as a paramedic or EMT on the streets, and always strived to find ways to make their lives easier.
“He really viewed EMS as a lifeline for the people of NYC,” Dr. Prezant said.
While Assistant Chief John Peruggia lauded Chief McFarland’s emphasis on patient care, he also remembered how much he loved his family – including his wife, EMS Captain Jo Ann, and children Katherine, 28, Megan, 24, Rebecca, 7, John, 5, and Joseph, 4.
Chief McCracken said he was deeply saddened by the passing of his longtime colleague and friend, but said he was happy he had the chance to know such an innovative thinker and kindhearted man: “It was an honor and pleasure to know John, and I can’t say enough about him. I’m just happy that the last time I saw him that he still had that great smile and positive outlook on life, his family and job he loved.”
Funeral arrangements
Visitation:
F. Ruggerio and Sons Funeral Home
732 Yonkers Ave.
Yonkers, NY
Wed. and Thurs., Feb. 8 and 9, 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.
Funeral:
Church of the Annunciation
470 Westchester Ave.
Yonkers, NY
Fri., Feb. 10, 11 a.m.
New York | DOH issues first summary report on LeRoy High School case
Albany | 4 Feb 2012
The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) released, today, the attached interim report on its investigation into a cluster of cases with tic-like symptoms in the Le Roy Central School District Junior/Senior High School.
The findings in this report do not identify a need for the school district to restrict any school-related activities or take any special health-related precautions because of this situation. The investigation did not find infectious or environmental causes for these illnesses. NYSDOH will continue to work with National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide interested families with an independent expert third-party evaluation. Our primary concern continues to be the well-being of the affected students and their families.
- Interim Report (PDF, 141KB, 9pg.)
New York | State DoH extends NIH offer of free evaluation for LeRoy High School students
Albany | 1 Feb 2012
New York State Health Commissioner Nirav R. Shah, M.D, MPH today announced that the Department has secured an agreement with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that the NIH will provide the Leroy High School students suffering from tic-like symptoms with a free, independent third-party evaluation of their cases.
The evaluations will be performed under the auspices of Dr. Mark Hallett and Dr. Susan Swedo of the NIH Institute on Neurology in Bethesda, Maryland, at no cost for the specialized consultation or for travel and accommodation costs of the students and their families.
The Department of Health is sending information on this opportunity to visit NIH to the parents and families of those affected by this illness and urges them to take advantage of this opportunity to be examined by these experts.
Dr. Hallett is currently NIH’s Chief of the Medical Neurology Branch and Chief of its Human Motor Control Section. He is currently the Principal Investigator of a clinical study of the diagnosis and natural history of patients with neurological conditions.
Dr. Swedo is currently Chief of the Pediatrics and Developmental Neuroscience Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Dr. Swedo and her NIMH team were the first to identify a new subtype of childhood disorder thought to be related to streptococcal infections known as Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections (PANDAS). Dr. Swedo’s work has led to the development of several possible therapies for the condition.
“The Department of Health understands that parents and students in the LeRoy School District are seeking more information on the tic-like symptoms that have presented in some students in the Jr/Sr High School,” Dr. Shah said. “Based on the clinical evaluations of the patients and the pattern in which these cases presented, the Department continues to believe that there is no environmental or infectious cause of these illnesses or public health threat to the community.”
At the request of the school district, water samples from the school were tested at the Department’s Wadsworth Laboratory in Albany. The Department analyzed three drinking water samples taken on January 25, 2012 from the Leroy High School by the Genesee County Health Department. Two samples were taken from areas frequented by students (student laboratory and kitchen). The third sample was taken where public water enters the building and is representative of water quality in the Monroe County Water Authority (MCWA) distribution system that supplies the high school and the surrounding area. The analyses of these samples were completed on January 30, 2012.
The results show nothing out of the ordinary. All three samples meet state and federal drinking water standards. The water quality in the student areas was no different from the water quality in the area around the high school. In addition, all three samples were consistent with the normally expected water quality for the entire Monroe County Water Authority (MCWA) service area. The only chemical detections to note were three disinfection by-products, the earth metal barium, and fluoride. All of these detected chemicals were at levels that are within state and federal drinking water standards. The disinfection by-products were found at levels consistent with entire the MCWA service area. Disinfection by-products occur at all drinking water systems that chlorinate surface water and result from the reaction of the primary disinfectant (chlorine) with naturally occurring organic material found in all surface waters of the State. The detected barium comes from Lake Ontario and is consistent with the level normally present in MCWA’s water. Fluoride is added by MCWA for dental protection purposes and the level detected is MCWA’s optimal target level for fluoride.
New York | FDNY firefighters honored for donating bone marrow
Firefighter James Wildes holds 6-year-old Alise Mareerose Williams during the Honor Roll of Life ceremony. Firefighter Wildes donated life-saving stem cells to Alise in 2009. © FDNY Photo Unit.
New York City | 26 Jan 2012
Alise Mareerose Williams may just be 6-years-old, but she’s already experienced more than most adults.
The young girl from Evansdale, Iowa, had two open heart surgeries by the time she was 16-months-old, after being diagnosed with a congenital heart defect when she was 2-months-old. Then, during a hospital stay, the young girl’s blood tests indicated that she had a rare genetic disorder called Fanconi anemia, and her family was told she someday would need a bone marrow transplant to survive.
Her doctors searched the National Bone Marrow Registry in September 2008, and found three perfect matches for Alise – something that almost never happens. On Feb. 4, 2009, she received the transplant.
Now, although her fight is not over, Alise’s health continues to improve.
The perfect match for Alise was 37-year-old Firefighter James Wildes from Engine 162.
The firefighter signed up to be a donor in 2002, when he was at the Fire Academy.
When the Registry called him, telling him he was a potential match, he said he was thrilled he could help and did not hesitate to be tested further. He donated his stem cells at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital on Feb. 3, 2009.
Almost exactly three years later, the two met for the first time during the eighth Honor Roll of Life induction ceremony at FDNY Headquarters on Jan. 25.
Six other firefighters’ names also were added to the Honor Roll plaque during the ceremony for their bone marrow and stem cell donations in 2011, including Lt. Salvatore Belmonte, Lt. Joseph P. Collins, Lt. Michael Kimball, FF Kyle Esquirol, FF Joseph Bordt and FF Francis Morrisey. There currently are 140 FDNY members’ names on the plaque – some of whom have donated several times.
“This is one of the most exciting events that we celebrate each year,” said Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano. “These FDNY members gave a part of themselves to save the life of someone else.”
More than 8,000 FDNY members have signed up with the registry and representatives from the New York Blood Center (NYBC) said that 13 percent of all bone marrow donors are FDNY members.
“I always say that we can all be donors and we may all be patients,” said Dr. Christopher Hillyer, President and CEO of the NYBC. “And FDNY members step up every time they are called.”
Chairman of the NYBC’s Board of Trustees Howard Milstein added, “Your heroism and dedication are an inspiration to all of us.”
After Firefighter Wildes met Alise, he said, “I can’t describe the feeling. To know I saved her, it’s unbelievable.”
He attended the ceremony with his wife, Mary, and their two children, Christian, 4, and Meagan, 16-months.
“I can’t imagine what their family is going through,” he said.
Alise’s mother, Debra, father, Troy, and 12-year-old brother, C.J., also attended the ceremony.
“I have no words,” Ms. Williams said. “I just keep saying ‘thank you.’ She’s here today because of him. It’s above and beyond a miracle.”
She urged everyone to sign up to donate, “You never know who your match will be. Who would have thought a New York City firefighter would match a little Iowa girl?”
Mr. Williams said he was overwhelmed to meet his daughter’s hero.
“Words can’t describe it,” he said. “I’ve seen my little girl die twice. If it wasn’t for this man here today, she wouldn’t be here.”
Although Alise was a little overwhelmed by the attention she received, she had two words to describe how she felt after the ceremony: “I’m happy.”
Learn more about registering as a bone marrow donor. See a list of NYBC blood drives and donor center locations in NY and NJ or call 1-800-933-2566.
New York | FDNY urges New Yorkers to have working smoke and CO detectors
New York City | 17 Jan 2012
After a fatal fire and two carbon monoxide incidents with fatalities and serious injuries in three days, the FDNY strongly urges all New Yorkers to have working smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in their homes.
On Sat., Jan. 14, at 90-08 101 Ave., Queens, a CO incident took the lives of a 66-year-old and a 29-year-old male. No working CO detectors were present in the home.
On Sun., Jan. 15, at 1066 Decatur St., Brooklyn, a three-alarm fire took the life of a nine-year-old boy, critically injured one adult male and seriously injured six additional residents. No working smoke detectors were present in the apartment. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by FDNY fire marshals.
On Mon., Jan. 16, at 2363 Valentine Ave., the Bronx, a CO incident resulted in 12 victims transported to local hospitals, two of them in serious condition. No working CO detectors were present in the apartment.
If a smoke or carbon monoxide detector is activated, evacuate your home immediately and call 911. To report problems with heat or boilers, which could potentially lead to a carbon monoxide incident, New Yorkers should call 311.
Learn more about fire safety, including specific safety information about smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
New York | FDNY members who made off-duty saves are honored at Staten Island Borough Hall
(L to R, back row) Capt. Gregg Hansson, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, SI Borough President James Molinaro, FF Steven Carl, EMT Matthew Cook, Councilman James Otto, Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano. (L to R, front row) Mary Strafer, Robert Strafer, Lt. Robert Strafer. Photo courtesy of the SI Borough President's Office.
Staten Island | 17 Jan 2012
It’s often said that FDNY members never go off-duty, and three men who proved that to be true were honored for their heroic deeds in a special ceremony at Staten Island Borough Hall on Jan. 13.
Capt. Gregg Hansson, Firefighter Steven Carl and EMT Matthew Cook were lauded by Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis and Councilman James Oddo, for incidents to which they responded in December.
“Because of their actions, people are alive today,” said Borough President Molinaro. “They went above and beyond the call of duty and we are so grateful they were there.”
Firefighter Carl, Ladder 81, was honored for saving a couple on Christmas night. He and his family were driving home from holiday celebrations when he saw a fire and helped evacuate two trapped victims (read more).
“This is an honor,” Firefighter Carl said when he received his award. “I love my job and I’m proud I was able to help.”
The people he rescued, Robert and Mary Strafer, attended the ceremony and presented the award to the firefighter. Their son, Robert Strafer, is an FDNY lieutenant in Ladder 80 and also attended the ceremony.
“He was an angel coming up the ladder to rescue us,” Mr. Strafer said.
Ms. Strafer recalled that evening, when they saw the fire coming up the stairs and knew the balcony was their only means of escape.
“We just looked at each other and didn’t know what to do,” she said. “Then suddenly this off-duty firefighter started coming up the ladder … it’s just overwhelming to be here today to thank him for that.”
The other awards of the day were presented to Capt. Hansson and EMT Cook.
On the morning of Christmas Eve, Capt. Hansson saw a male in his 60s jogging, then later lying on the ground. As he approached, he said a woman – who identified herself as a nurse – was helping.
Together they began chest compressions and rescue breathing. EMT Cook then came upon the scene and offered assistance.
Minutes later, Fire and EMS units arrived. They aided the victim and transported him to Richmond University Medical Center.
“I don’t feel like I belong here,” Capt. Hansson said. “It’s not a heroic act; it’s an act of kindness … something anyone would do.”
He noted that he wished the nurse he met that day – whose name he never learned – could have attended the ceremony as well.
“I don’t think what I did was heroic,” EMT Cook said. “Everything I did I owe to the training I got at the FDNY.”
New York | FDNY and ABC7 get together to launch Save A Life campaign
Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano and ABC 7 Anchor Bill Ritter
New York City | 17 Jan 2012
The FDNY joined ABC 7 on Jan. 17 to launch the Operation 7 Save a Life campaign at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan. The 14th annual campaign includes a television program that will appear on ABC 7, urging New Yorkers to practice fire safety.
“This is a vital effort to save lives,” said Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano. “We are here because we all have an invested interest in fire safety. [Our Fire Safety Education] program works through education, presentations and the Operation 7 Save A Life television special.”
Hosted by ABC 7 Anchor Bill Ritter and co-sponsored by New York-Presbyterian Hospital, The Home Depot and Toyota, the television special will include segments prominently featuring the FDNY, including fire safety education for people with disabilities, the importance of calling 9-1-1 in an emergency, the FDNY’s social media presence, and the importance of having working smoke and CO alarms in your home.
As part of the campaign, Kidde – one of the campaign’s sponsors – donated more than 30,000 smoke alarms that will be distributed through FDNY and other local fire departments. More than 650,000 smoke alarms have been distributed since the campaign’s inception in 1999.
“We’re taking our storytelling skills and applying them to fire safety,” said Mr. Ritter. “We’re going to save lives.”
Operation 7 Save-A-Life will air on Sat., Jan. 21, on ABC 7 at 7 p.m.
New York | FDNY firefighters from Ladder 163 honored by Department of Sanitation
Firefighters from Ladder 163 with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and DSNY Commissioner John Doherty. A photo of the incident was held in front of the stage during the award presentation. Photo courtesy of Spencer T. Tucker.
New York City | 12 Jan 2012
Firefighters from Ladder 163 received a special award on Jan. 11, a Commissioner’s Citation from the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) during their annual awards ceremony at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn.
“We wanted to honor true FDNY heroes for helping one of our heroes,” said DSNY Commissioner John J. Doherty.
In August 2011, Lt. Michael Twomey, and Firefighters Nicholas Gonzalez, William Walters, Michael Agliato, James Pue and Andrew Schreiner stabilized a salt spreader and saved the life of an auto mechanic who crashed a salt spreader through the wall of DSNY’s Central Repair Shop in Queens.
New York | Response to carbon monoxide emergency teaches valuable safety lesson
New York City | 10 Jan 2012
FDNY members responded to a carbon monoxide (CO) emergency on Vyse Avenue in the Bronx on Jan. 10. It was a dangerous situation made worse by the fact that simple safety measures were overlooked.
“CO is odorless and colorless, and if you are in such an environment for a period of time, you can die,” said EMS Deputy Chief Howard Sickles. “This [emergency] demonstrates that CO alarms are very important, as is following directions from public safety representatives.”
The first call to 911 was made at around 2 a.m., with two occupants stating that they thought they were having asthma attacks.
When EMTs arrived, their CO meters rang. After doing a few medical tests, they recognized that the victims had difficulty breathing due to CO poisoning rather than asthma.
They transported the two adults and one child to St. Barnabas Hospital, as firefighters shut down the faulty boiler – which was found to be the source of the high CO readings – and vented the building.
When the victims were evaluated at St. Barnabas, they were instructed to go to Jacobi Hospital to be treated in the hospital’s hyperbaric chamber. When a victim has high-levels of CO in the blood, the CO has attached itself to the red blood cell, preventing the uptake of oxygen. A hyperbaric chamber will compress the CO off the red blood cell.
EMTs were called back to the building on Vyse Avenue at around 8 a.m. and found that someone had restarted the faulty boiler, filling the residence with CO again.
Of the 23 people living in the residence, 15 were transported to Jacobi Hospital, including several children. The three victims who were transported at 2 a.m. were among those transported the second time, still ill after not following doctors orders to visit Jacobi Hospital.
Firefighters again turned off the boiler and vented the building. Representatives from Con Edison also responded to disable the boiler until it is repaired.
“Your brain needs oxygen and sugar to survive. If you’re going to stay [in a CO-rich environment], you’re taking away your oxygen,” Chief Sickles said. And beyond the critical importance of having CO alarms in the home, he also stressed, “If the boiler is disconnect it is done for a reason.”
Learn more about the dangers of CO and how you can protect your family.