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BRONX, NY - On January 10th at 1:42 A.M., Bronx dispatch received a phone alarm reporting an electrical fire at 2910 Wallace Avenue, a 200x100 6-story OMD. Dispatch was also receiving “smoke in the area” calls. Battalion 15 transmitted a 10-75 at 1:50 A.M., followed quickly by a 2nd alarm two minutes later for a fire on the sixth-floor.

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PAGE 2

February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

JEFFREY ARN0LD/@FIREPHOT025

Dump Truck Rollover in Livonia LIVONIA, NY - On Tuesday, December 31, 2024, at 7:30 a.m., Livonia Fire and EMS were dispatched to Big Tree Road at Longview Boulevard for a dump truck on its side. The driver of the truck was found to be uninjured. Big Tree Road was closed for several hours while the truck was up-righted and removed. The cause of the crash was under investigation by the Livingston County Sheriff's Office.

Snowbound Campers Rescued in Town of Lorraine LORRAINE, NY - At about 9:15 A.M. on Saturday, November 30, 2024, Lorraine Volunteer Fire Company Inc. Chief Mark Shelmidine received a phone call at his fire station from a lady out o f the area stating that members o f her family were snowed in somewhere at campsite in the town o f Lorraine.

The Lorraine area had received two-and-a-half to three-feet o f snow overnight.

After further questioning.

C hief Shelmidine determined the three were possibly located on Berry Drive East, which is near their fire station. Berry Drive is not a road, but a very narrow private driveway over two miles long with numerous other small driveways to other private camp sites off from it.

At 9:19 A.M., C hief Shelmi­ dine contacted the Jefferson

Jump to file #120424107

m

County 911 Center requesting they dispatch the Lorraine Volunteer Fire Company. He also contacted a neighboring farmer, D oug Morse, who is familiar with the area and the approximate location o f the campsite.

Lorraine Fire Assistant Chief Brian Soules and Captain James Bice responded with their tracked UTV 28-7-1. Other members also responded with Rescue 28-6-1.

Mr. Morse also arrived with a large farm tractor and began to make his way along the drive to the camp site.

UTV 28-7-1 arrived at the campsite to find three individuals who had spent the night in a tent.

The three were inside their SUV, which was unable to move in the heavy snow. Lorraine Fire trans­ ported the two younger people, who were not dressed for heavy snow, to the Lorraine Fire Station.

The third remained with the SUV until Mr. M orse arrived with his tractor and was able to move enough snow for the SUV to make its way back to the highway and the fire station.

The Lorraine Volunteer Fire Company provides fire protection to the towns o f Lorraine and Worth in the southeast portion o f Jeffer­ son County located in the Tug Hill area where they are often called during the winter to assist stranded or injured snowmobile operators and skiers.

- ROBERT SIMPSON

IN SERVICE BOB MCCORMICK

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Two People Transported from Head-On Crash on NYS Thruway NEWBURGH, NY - Winona Lake and Orange Lake FDs re­ sponded to a reported head-on collision with possible entrap­ ment on the New York State Thruway-Interstate 87-Northbound at mile marker 60.6 on December 24, 2024.

Winona Lake Command advised there was no entrapment.

Town of Newburgh EMS and New York State Police were at the scene. Town of Newburgh EMS transported two subjects to Montefiore-St. Luke's Hospital. Firefighters assisted with traffic and made both vehicles safe from hazards. New York State Police are investigating the cause.

FRANK ROBINSON

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PAGE 4

February, 2025

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CORPORATE INFORMATION 1st Responder N ew s (ISSN 1525-1683) - N ew York edition - Vol. 26 No. 2 - is published monthly, 12 times a year for $48 per year by Belsito Communications, Inc., 1 Ardmore Street, N ew Windsor, NY 12553. Pe­ riodicals Postage Paid at Newburgh, NY and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to 1st Responder News, 1 Ardmore Street, New Windsor, NY 12553. No financial re­ sponsibility is B F - r i assumed by Uza l i S / l / U t LS this newspaper com m unications, inc. to publish a display, classified, or legal ad or for typographical errors except o f reprinting that part o f the ad which was omit­ ted or in error. O m issions or errors must be brought to the attention o f the newspaper during the same month o f publication. Printed in Canada.

PURLICATION CONTENT Notice: The advertisements, articles, and letters contained in this pub­ lication do not necessarily reflect the views o f 1st Responder Inc. and Belsito Communications, Inc. Advertisements are sold pursuant to the “space available” and corresponding fee schedule. The mere fact that advertisements are contained in this publication does not express nor imply that 1st Responder Inc. and Belsito Communications, Inc. vouches for the credibility o f the claims made in the advertisements or the representations expressed or implied in them.

CHELLE CORDERO A s o f 2023, N ew York State reported the loss o f approxi­ mately 9% o f EM S A gencies over ten years; along with those agen­ cies went many trained EM S per­ sonnel. In com parison, our population o f approxim ately 8m illion peop le has significantly increased since 2020. With the number o f am bulance agen cies and E M S personnel decreasing balanced against the possibility o f increased patient load, w e are also look in g at increased re­ sponse times... or even N O avail­ able response.

At best, neighboring agencies must travel into these areas and leave their districts with less coverage.

Training as a First Responder AT AN Y LEVEL takes time and m oney (no matter w ho is footing the bill). The anxiety o f em er­ gen cy response with unknown ou tcom es com bin ed with the high-risk situations a responder can find them selves in means a lot o f stress; this stress can lead to burnout. Som e EM S respon ­ ders turn to alcohol or drugs as a cop in g mechanism, w hile others leave the p rofession altogether; suicide ranks high for on-the-job deaths. A dd to the angst these re­ sponders already feel, the salaries for this highly trained position for those respon sible for saving an­ other person ’ s life are often co m ­ parable to those o f convenience store clerks.

Although there are a substan­ tial number o f volunteer agencies throughout the state (EMTs, whether volunteer or paid, re­

ceive the same classroom training towards certification), m ore and m ore volunteer agen cies are b e ­ com in g hybrid (paid and volu n ­ teer) services out o f a need for round-the-clock coverage. Many rural agen cies have to travel lon ger distances to hospitals, while the more urban environment usually means faster transport ac­ cess. Volunteer agencies must rely on local tax districts to fund their basic services. In addition, for both volunteer and paid agencies, reim bursem ents from insurance.

Medicare, and M edicaid are often b elow actual costs.

Paid EM S have an average ca­ reer longevity o f less than a dozen years in the field; although a num­ ber far ex ceed that average. V ol­ unteer EM S also traditionally averages a short span as som e use the volunteer experience and go into paid positions. Many trained EM Ts and Param edics decide to pursue higher levels o f “health­ care”; ironically, EM S providers are not officia lly considered “healthcare”and are not classed as ESSEN TIA L workers. M ost paid EM S providers w ork much longer than their standard shifts as a way to increase their in com e and pay their bills. It’ s very hard to support a family on an EM S income.

The importance o f being able to call 911 and have an ambulance respond promptly and trained per­ sonnel to administer the feasibly life-saving treatment and transport to a m edical facility is obvious.

However, little m ore than a dozen states recogn ize EM S as an essen­ tial service (New York is N OT one o f them), and the Federal govern­ ment has left this designation to the state governm ents to decide.

Generally, a state that does r e co g ­ nize this essential service can sub­ stantially help with the funding o f services.

We need to lobby our local and state governm ents to support our life-saving w ork by making all EM S essential and paying livable wages.

Read more from all of our columnists on our website! www.1rbn.com

JOHN SMITH

Brush Fire fo r Fluvanna Fire Departm ent JAMESTOWN, NY - On 12/14/24, Fluvanna Fire Department was dispatched to Marvin Parkway for a reported brush fire.

A Fluvanna chief went on scene and reported a working brush fire. There were no homes in the area of the brush fire.

BOB MCCORMICK

D river F lees Scene F o llo w in g 3-C ar Crash in Newburgh NEWBURGH, NY - On November 29, 2024 around 11:00 A.M., New Windsor Police responded to a three-vehicle MVA with possible entrapment on State Route 32 in the area of Fern Av­ enue. Police arrived and requested New Windsor EMS and New Windsor FD to the scene. The driver got out of the vehi­ cle and fled towards the City of Newburgh. New Windsor EMS transported three subjects to Montefiore-St. Luke's Hospital.

Route 32 was shut down at Lake Drive and Ruscitti Road as vehicle parts were in the roadway. New Windsor Police im­ pounded the vehicle that the person who fled the scene was driving. Firefighters checked the vehicles for hazards and spread speedy dry on fluids on the roadway. The New Wind­ sor Police Dept, is investigating the cause. City of Newburgh Police assisted with locating the registered owner of the ve­ hicle. The investigation is continuing.

1STResponder Newspaper - NY

February, 2025

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February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

1 "R e sp o n d er New spaper

In memory of those who gave all

1 ARDMORE STREET • NEW WINDSOR, NY 1 2 5 5 3 8 4 5 - 5 3 4 -7 5 0 0 • ( fa x ) 8 4 5 - 5 3 4 -0 0 5 5

• N e w s @ 1 s tR e s p o n d e r N e w s .c o m

EXECUTIVE STAFF

PUBLISHER

Joseph P. BelsitO (JoeiSBelsito.com) GENERAL MANAGER

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Ashley Ramos (AshleyS1stFlesponderNews.com) BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

1st Responder Newspaper honors and remembers

Joe BelsitO ( J o e S IstRespondemews.com)

emergency responders lost in the line of duty

ACCOUNTING

Nicholas BelsitO (NicholasSBelsito.com) DISPATCHER RECRUITMENT & RETENTION (RichS 1stResponder.com)

EDITORIAL STAFF

COLUMNISTS Rick Billings (Cartoon) Bob Long (Cartoon) John Malecky (Apparatus, Bookshelf) Didymus McHugh (Chaplain's Corner) Fernando Villicana (Chaplain's Corner)

CORRESPONDENTS Jeffrey Arnold •John Bechtold •Jeffrey Belschwinder •Brian Berkey •

Arizona: William Cody Treatch, 26 Rank: Firefighter Recruit Incident Date: August 14, 2024 Death Date: August 23, 2024

ground. C P R was initiated and Firefighter Helton was

heat-related emergency during training at the fire acad­

transported to a local hospital where despite resusci­

emy. He was immediately transported to the Banner

tation attempts, he was pronounced deceased.

•Bob Krajicek •Connor Krueger •Jeff Levine •Stan D e Long •Chuck

•Frank Robinson •B ob Root •Chris Sabella •Michael Serrell •Sharon Tompkins •Bob Vaccaro •Gary Vanvoorhis •Frankie Verderame •Stephen Wallace •John Walthers •Eugene Weber Jr •Steve White •Guy Zampatori Jr

_________ EDITORIAL INFORMATION__________ Join our team o f correspondents or columnists! 1st Responder N ewspaper w elcom es subm issions by our readers. Send stories and photos to us at 1Ard­ more St. N ew Windsor, NY 12553. Or, giv e us a call or send us an e-mail. If using the mail, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for all sub­ m issions you wish to have returned. Publisher reserves the right to refuse any editorial or advertising material submitted.

845-534-7500 ext. 212 • (fax) 845-534-0055

Delaware: Thomas Wilson Berry, III, 23 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: August 13, 2024 Death Date: August 13, 2024

I f you w ould like information about how advertising in 1st Responder N ews can benefit your com pany call our advertising hotline at:

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CIRCULATION INFORMATION 1st Responder Newspaper is delivered to all fire, rescue, ambulance stations and hospitals. I f you do not receive your papers, please contact our circulation department. H om e subscriptions are $36 per year.

845-534-7500 ext. 220 • (fax) 845-534-0055

fighter Thomas Wilson Berry, III was dispatched to re­

tivation. After the responses, Captain Patterson returned

spond to a motor vehicle accident. While on scene, a

home where, at approximately 3:25 p.m., he was found

utility pole snapped, bringing down electrical wires.

unresponsive and passed away.

died on the scene.

Georgia: Christopher Eddy, 35 Rank: Battalion Chief Incident Date: September 4,2024 Death Date: September 4, 2024

Missouri: Kyle Brinker, 33 Rank: Firefighter/Paramedic Incident Date: September 17, 2024 Death Date: September 17,2024 Fire Department: Kansas City Fire Department Initial Summary: On Tuesday, September 17, 2024,

Fire Department: Greene County Fire Rescue Initial Summary: On Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, Battal­

Firefighter/Paramedic Kyle Brinker suffered a medical

ion Chief Christopher Eddy responded to a tractor trailer

He was immediately transported to the North Kansas

fire on Georgia Route 15. When he opened the truck

City Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

GRAPHIC DESIGN/MARKETING

tigation into the incident is ongoing.

lnfo@ B elsito.com

The second response was at 2:30 p.m. to a fire alarm ac­

Firefighter Berry sustained life-threatening injuries and

C ircu lation @ 1stR esp ond erN ew s.com

845-534-7500 ext. 214 • (fax) 845-534-0055

Thomas Patterson responded to two emergency calls.

The first response was at 1:12 p.m. to a vehicle collision.

door, an explosion occurred killing him instantly. Inves­

1st Responder N ews’ graphics team w ill work with you on your adver­ tisement free o f charge. A ddition­ ally, w e offer a com plete marketing department for all o f your printed . c o m m u n ic a tio n s , inc. needs. Whether they are posters, or single sheet handouts, full color or black and white, n o one else delivers the high quality work at our competitive prices.

A s a newspaper in the Belsito Com m unications Inc. family, 1st Responder N ews has a state-of-the-art production facility which utilizes the latest scan­ ning technology available. Materials are processed using Power Macintosh G4s. Output is handled on our HP C olor LaserJet 8500 to produce this highest quality black and white or color prints on the market.

North Carolina: Thomas Ray Patterson, 74 Rank: Captain Incident Date: September 12, 2024 Death Date: September 12,2024 Fire Department: Louisburg Fire Department Initial Summary: On September 12, 2024, Captain

Fire Department: Georgetown Fire Company, Inc. Initial Summary: On Tuesday, August 13, 2024, Fire­

News@1 stR esponderN ew s.com

ADVERTISING INFORMATION

ing the last load o f water, Firefighter Helton sat down

University Medical Center where his condition progres­ 2024.

Siegel •John Smith •Ken Snyder •John Spaulding •Bill Tompkins •Chris

flutter in his chest but that he was fine. After deliver­ to rest but then collapsed and fell face first to the

sively worsened. He passed away on Friday, August 23,

William Mlurray •Mlark Picemo •Charlie Piper •David Ragusa •John Rieth

he told a fellow firefighter that he was experiencing a

Firefighter Recruit William Cody Treatch suffered a

ley •Vinnie Dominick •Patrick D ’ Onofrio •Bob Faugh •Bradley Fowler •

Lowe •Tom Mlarra •B ob McCormick •Randy Montour •Tricia Mlood •

tle water during a mutual aid call for a structure fire,

Fire Department: Rural Metro Fire Department Initial Summary: On Wednesday, August 14, 2024,

David Bums •Mike Carey •Michael Contaxis •Jeff Crianza •Russell Cur­ John Greco •Paul Harrington •Gary Heam •Ron Jeffers •Lany Kensinger

while Firefighter Darrell Helton was helping to shut­

Kentucky: Darrell Helton, 49 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: September 4,2024 Death Date: September 4, 2024 Fire Department: Belfry Volunteer Fire Department Initial Summary: On Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024,

emergency during a fire department training exercise.

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

February, 2025

PAGE 7

BOB MCCORMICK

Heavy Fire on A rrival at Cornwall-on-Hudson MVA Rollover with Van Down Embankment in Blooming Grove Residence

PROVIDED

CORNWALL-ON-HUDSON, NY - On Saturday, 12/7/24 at ap­ proximately 11:20 A.M., the Cornwall-on-Hudson Fire Depart­ ment was dispatched to a reported smoke investigation in the area o f Storm King Mountain. While as­ sembling at the station, members were notified by a passerby, that the source o f the smoke may in fact be from a building fire on Sta­ ble Way. Upon arrival o f Cornwall-onHudson Fire C h ief Quinn, he found a three-story, 4,000-sq.ft. single family residence, located at 10 Stable Way, with heavy fire and smoke emanating from the residence. C h ief Quinn im m edi­ ately transmitted a 2nd Alarm, bringing additional resources to the scene and requesting a Tanker Taskforce, as this residence is lo ­ cated within the non-hydrant sec­ tion of the Village of C omwall-on-Hudson.

Upon arrival. Squad 411 and Tower Ladder 413 crews initiated an aggressive interior attack o f the fire and performed a primary search o f the residence. Searches proved to be negative with C om ­ mand later learning that the occu ­ pant had left the residence earlier in the day. As the first due crews were performing the initial attack, mutual aid partners from sur­ rounding departments began to ar­ rive on scene and assist with establishing a sufficient water supply, as well as stretching sec­ ondary backup attack lines. Due to the remote location o f the resi­ dence, this incident reached a third-alarm equivalent, bringing an additional Engine and Truck Company to the scene to provide

Jump to fiie #121024100

relief for initial crews. The bulk o f the fire was knocked down within about 30 minutes o f arrival with crews continuing to open up void spaces to extinguish pockets o f fire. The fire was deem ed under control about one hour after the arrival o f initial crews.

Five minor injuries were sus­ tained by firefighters on scene, with four being treated at the scene. The fifth firefighter was transported and subsequently re­ leased follow in g treatment at Montefiore-St. Lukes-Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh.

The cause o f the fire is un­ known at the time o f this press re­ lease, and the incident remains under investigation by the Orange County Fire Investigations Unit and the Cornwall-on-Hudson P o­ lice Department as per standard operating guidelines.

Mutual Aid Partners and other agencies assisting on scene were: Cornwall FD, Vails Gate FD, New Windsor FD, West Point FD, Highland Falls FD, Fort M ont­ gom ery FD, Salisbury M ills FD, Woodbury FD, City o f Newburgh FD (Stand By Coverage), Orange County Department o f Emergency Services 911 Center, 36-1, 36-14, 36-6,36-103, 36-105, N ew Windsor/Cornwall EMS, Cornwall-onHudson Water Department, Cornwall-on-Hudson Police D e ­ partment, Cornwall Police Depart­ ment Central Hudson Gas & Electric.

- CORNWALL-ON-HUDSON FD

BLOOM ING GROVE, NY At 7:03 A.M. on Decem ber 5, 2024, the Washingtonville Fire D e­ partment was dispatched to a report o f an MVA rollover on Horton Road in the Town o f Bloom ing Grove. Upon arrival, fire depart­ ment personnel found a van, down the embankment, on its side with the injured driver trapped in the ve­ hicle.

The crews o f Squad 580 and Ladder 579 assessed the situation, stabilized the vehicle, removed the

Jump to file #121124115

windshield and cautiously extri­ cated the driver/victim. This was done under the supervision o f the Bloom ing Grove Volunteer Ambu­ lance Corps Paramedic. The victim was packaged, placed into a stokes basket and removed to street level.

Once the victim was brought to street level, she was turned over to B loom ing Grove Ambulance per­

sonnel for treatment and trans­ portation to Garnett Medical Cen­ ter.

The Salisbury Mills Fire D e ­ partment was placed on automatic response to cover the Washing­ tonville fire district, while Wash­ ingtonville Fire Department units operated at the scene.

The cause o f the accident is under investigation by the B loom ­ ing Grove Police Department.

- GARY HEARN

BOB MCCORMICK

Two-Car MVA on Route 17K in Newburgh NEWBURGH, NY - Coldenham FD responded to 243 State Route 17K on December 23, 2024, for a two-vehicle MVA. Town of Newburgh Police and Town of Newburgh EMS were at the scene.

Firefighters spread speedy dry on fluids on the roadway and made both vehicles safe from haz­ ards. Town of Newburgh EMS transported two subjects to Montefiore St. Luke's Hospital. The Town of Newburgh Police Dept, is investigating the cause.

PAGE 8

February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

2nd Alarm Commercial Structure Fire in Northside Fire D istrict Determined to be Accidental WATERFORD, NY - On N o­ vember 22, 2024, at 6:28 P.M., the Northside Fire Department along with the Waterford Rescue Squad was dispatched to 110 First Street for multiple calls reporting a struc­ ture fire with entrapment. The heavy fire and smoke condition could be seen from multiple blocks away.

Upon receiving information that there were multiple reports o f som ebody trapped inside the building, and that somebody was yelling for help, the Northside fire chief immediately transmitted the second-alarm. As he turned down the street, the chief had heavy fire showing from a church that had been converted into a house. Fie made his way to the front o f the house and was able to confirm that there was no entrapment, and that everybody was out o f the struc­ ture.

As the second-alarm was being toned, the well-involved steeple on the home collapsed through the roof o f the structure, sending a large fireball into the sky. Waterford FD, Flalfmoon-Wa­ terford FD, Boght Community Fire Co., and Mechanicville FD were brought to the scene. The M aplewood FD was placed on standby at the Northside FD. Command requested the first ar­ riving engine to lay in from the hy­ drant and utilize a deck gun as the building was well-involved. Fire­ fighters deployed multiple hand lines to the front o f the structure and connected to the nearby fire hydrant, establishing a water sup­

ply. Command requested the first arriving truck company to take First Street and set up in the roadway and get their ladder in the air. C om ­ mand got on the radio and re­ quested the dispatcher to stop all railway traffic, as they had multiple large diameter hose being deployed across the tracks.

Fleavy fire was pushing from the front o f the building and all o f the windows and roof. Additional firefighters arriving on scene took up a tactical position on top o f the hill and laid in from another water main, establishing another water supply. Firefighters began to con ­ duct defensive operations as the r oof o f the building had been se­ verely compromised. As firefighters were utilizing the master streams, slate roof shingles began to fly off the roof, posing a major risk for firefighters operating nearby o f be­ coming injured. Command had fire­ fighters operating near the building back up while the master stream operations were ongoing. With heavy fire still in the roof o f the building, the truck company on the 'Bravo' side o f the structure utilized saws to cut open the windows on the side o f the building to get their master streams up into the roof rafters area. As the ladder truck repositioned, firefighters on the 'Alpha' side o f the structure made their way up to the front door o f the building and began utilizing a hand line to knock down a large amount

o f the visible fire in the front o f the structure. Firefighters on the other end o f the building utilized a hand line and began to knock down the visible fire from the windows.

Firefighters on the 'Charlie' side o f the structure utilized a chainsaw to cut down a tree and pulled it out o f the way to gain access to two windows where they still had fire in the roof area o f the building. Fire­ fighters stopped flowing water for a short period o f time to allow com ­ mand to get a full view o f the scene, and to get an updated progress re­ port and create a plan to move for­ ward with operations. Command had an additional truck company from the city o f Mechanicville com e to the scene and set up next to the Waterford fire department's truck company and deploy their aerial device. Firefighters on the hill pulled back as both aerial de­ vices opened up their master streams and continued to knock down any o f the remaining fire.

Fire investigators arrived on scene and began to conduct their in­ vestigation into what caused the fire, while firefighters began to pick up all o f the additional hand lines.

Command contacted the town for an excavator to com e to the scene, as the structure was not safe to re­ main standing.

Fire Investigators worked through the evening to determine that the fire was accidental. N o in­ juries were reported. Firefighters went back into service in the early morning hours.

- JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER

JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER/SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY

JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER/ SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY

Chief Gardner of the Northside Fire District in Command of the scene with Saratoga County's Coordinator.

JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER/ SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY

Two firefighters make a push to the front door of the home after the steeple collapsed.

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

February, 2025

PAGE 9

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PAGE 10

February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

One Person Sustains Serious Injuries in Vacant Building Fire in Albany ALBANY, NY - On N ovem ­ ber 19, 2024, at 3:45 P.M., the city o f Albany’ s dispatch center began to receive numerous calls for a re­ ported structure fire at 28 Bassett Street. Callers reported the build­ ing to be on fire. Engines 1, 10, 11,7 and 9, Rescue 1, Ladder 4, the rescue squad, the battalion chief, and Mohawk Ambulance Service called en route to the scene.

One caller reported that one person was in the basement apart­ ment. As units were en route to the call, a thick heavy colum n o f smoke was visible from the high­ way and began to wrap around the area o f 787, slowing traffic down.

The first arriving engine on scene immediately transmitted the S ig­ nal 30, as they had a heavy fire condition out the rear o f the struc­ ture com ing from the basement, and heavy smoke showing from the first and second floors o f the building.

Comm and notified all units that there were people inside the structure. Firefighters deployed a hand line to the rear o f the build­ ing and called for water. Firefight­ ers in the front o f the structure stretched the hand line up the cen­ ter o f the stairs as a firefighter worked to remove the plyw ood from the front door o f the struc­ ture. Firefighters from the truck company utilized a K-12 saw to start to cut the bars o ff the w in­ dows o f the house. Firefighters in the rear o f the building conducted an aggressive interior attack in-

JUMP TOFILE#120824117

side o f the structure.

On scene firefighters were able to locate the victim from the building and turned them over to Mohawk Ambulance Service with serious burns. Firefighters contin­ ued to make access to the struc­ ture. Within a few minutes, firefighters had the fire in the basement area com pletely knocked down and forced their way into the first-floor o f the structure where they knocked all o f the plyw ood o ff the front o f the building.

Firefighters conducted an ex­ tensive search o f the building to make sure everybody was out.

Firefighters on the first-floor knocked down any fire that had made its way up from the base­ ment. Firefighters on the secondfloor conducted ventilation o f the front windows. Albany police de­ tectives arrived on scene and began to conduct an investigation into the fire with the City o f A l­ bany’ s Fire Department investiga­ tors. One individual was detained on scene. Firefighters conducted extensive overhaul o f the building for an extended period o f time.

One firefighter was injured on scene. The fire is currently under investigation and no further de­ tails were released to the public.

JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER/SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY

Albany firefighters forcing the front door of the vacant home.

- JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER

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Man Suffers Burns at Newburgh Auto Repair Shop, MedEvac Requested NEWBURGH, NY - Winona Lake and Orange Lake Fire Departments responded to Lowes parking lot on December 17, 2024, to set up a landing zone for an incoming MedEvac. Town of Newburgh EMS was treating a burn victim and requested the MedEvac. Town of Newburgh Police were at the scene on State Route 17K, at an auto repair shop, where the male subject suffered burns.

Town of Newburgh EMS drove the subject to the landing zone and turned them over to the flight crew where they were then airlifted to Westchester Medical Center.

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February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

ADAMS FIRE DEPARTMENT

Adams Truck 1-8-1 moving tower into position.

Large P ile o f Wood Chips Burns in Adams Center ADAM S CENTER, NY - At 8:14 RM. November 25, 2024, the Jefferson County 911 Center dis­ patched Adams Center Fire Depart­ ment to 19023 NY State 177 in the Town o f Adams for an outdoor fire at Elliott's Tree Service, with Adams Fire Department as Auto­ matic Mutual Aid. Adams Center Fire arrived to find a very large pile o f w ood chips on fire. A plan was established by Adams Center Assistant Chief Joe Lees to move Adams Truck 1-8-1 into a position to knock down as much fire as possible from its tower.

Mutual aid was requested from Rodman, Smithville, Lorraine, and Town o f Watertown Fire Depart­ ments for tankers to shuttle water

to file #112724105

THOMAS MARRA

Firefighters prevented an apartment fire from spreading to other units at a complex in Bethlehem.

A partm ent Fire Q uickly Contained

3 I & in North Bethlehem

along with Adams Center and Adams units. Smithville Engine 414-2 was requested to establish a tanker fill site at a pond on Greene Street in the hamlet o f Adams Cen­ ter.

Responding units included Adams Center engine, tanker, res­ cue; Adams 2 engines, rescue, truck, squad; Smithville engine, tanker; Rodman 2 tankers; Lorraine tanker; and Town o f Watertown tanker.

Units were on scene for ap­ proximately three hours.

- ROBERT SIMPSON

PATCH OF THE MONTH I f y o u h a v e p h o to s y o u w o u ld lik e to s e e in ou r “P atch o f the m on th “fea tu re p le a se u p lo a d th em o n ou r w e b site, w w w . ls tR e sp o n d e r N e w s . c o m o r e m a il th em to L in d s e y @ ls t R e s p o n d e r N e w s . c o m .

NORTH BETHLEHEM, NY A fire in an apartment building in Bethlehem was contained before it could spread to other apartments on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.

Fire crews were dispatched to 7 Eastmount Dr just after 6:00 P.M., for a report o f a possible structure fire. The initial 911 caller stated their apartment was filling with smoke. “ On arrival I had a smoke con­ dition on the second-floor o f the building banked down to the floor with occupants outside reporting a fire,”said Chief Cameron Becker of the North Bethlehem Fire Depart­ ment.

Additional mutual aid depart­ ments were requested to the scene to help control and contain the flames as quickly and efficiently as possi­ ble. “ Due to the type o f occupancy, building construction and location of the fire, a signal 30 (working fire) was transmitted,”Becker said.

TOfile #120324106

3 I»

Firefighters had to stretch a large amount o f hose to reach from the en­ gine to the fire apartment due to how far the apartment door was from the parking location o f the engine.

Fire departments on scene in­ cluded North Bethlehem, Mckownville, Westmere, Fort Hunter (FAST), Slingerlands, Guilderland and Delmar. Delmar-Bethlehem EMS, Albany County Paramedics, Bethlehem Police also responded to the scene.

Becker says firefighters were able to contain the fire to the apart­ ment o f origin, with smoke and water damage to a few o f the adjoin­ ing apartments. “ Building construc­ tion could have played a factor if the fire wasn’ t contained to the one unit,”he said. “ No fire stops were

present, it could have easily spread to the other units.”

Ladder trucks from Delmar and Guilderland fire departments re­ sponded and assisted getting fire­ fighters to the roof o f the building and breaking second-floor windows for ventilation and checking for any fire extension.

No injuries were reported on scene.

Blessing Road was closed in the area while crews were on scene as there were fire trucks parked along the roadway.

The Bethlehem Police Fire In­ vestigation Team is conducting the investigation and an official cause has still not been released, however, a Facebook post from Bethlehem Police states the fire does not appear suspicious.

- THOMAS MARRA

STILL IN SERVICE I f y o u h a v e p h o to s y o u w o u ld lik e to s e e in ou r “S till in S e rv ic e ”feature, p le a se u p lo a d th em o n ou r w ebsite, w w w .ls tR e sp o n d e r N e w s .c o m o r e m a il th em to L in d s e y @ ls tR e s p o n d e r N e w s . c o m

EUGENE WERER JR.

This patch belongs to Minisink Hose Company, located in Orange County, NY.

FRANK R0RINS0N

Nyack Joint Fire Department still operates this 1996 Pierce Dash 1500/750.

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

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February, 2025

PAGE 13

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A 3-car crash blocked one lane of a busy Delmar intersection.

3-Car MVA in Busy Delm ar In te rse ctio n DELMAR, NY - A three-car crash blocked one lane of a busy intersection in Delmar on Novem­ ber 15,2024.

Crews were called to Elm Av­ enue in front of the Elm Avenue Park for a report of a three-car crash at 7:00 P.M. Delmar Fire Department, Delmar-Bethlehem EMS, Albany County Paramedics and Bethlehem Police responded to the scene.

Upon arrival, all three cars were still in the roadway with all occupants outside of their vehi-

J U M P TO FILE #120924104

as cles.

Fire crews blocked north­ bound traffic, using the south­ bound lane to alternate traffic.

Firefighters helped to clean up de­ bris and fluids from the vehicles.

EMS evaluated vehicle occu­ pants, however, no serious injuries were reported.

-THOMAS MARRA

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February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

30 FIRES You M ust Know ON THE BOOK SHELF

by John Malecky

30 FIRES You Must Know

By Billy Goldfeder, Frank Leeb and Friends Available from: FSP B ooks & Videos 433 Main Street, Suite 2A Hudson, M AO 1749 1-800-522-8528 Email: support@fire-policeems.com www.fire-police-ems.com Price: $39.00 This is a soft cover book measuring six inches by nine inches, with 330 pages. Royalties earned by this book w ill be d o ­ nated to several organizations listed on the back cover. It is a Fire Engineering book. Billy and Frank are both chiefs who have dedicated their lives to promoting firefighter safety and im prove­ ments in the fire service, namely through equipping fire depart­ ments to best protect their m em ­ bers. For many years and in many ways they have contributed to this quest. They have chosen 30 hor­ rific and fatal fires o f which al­ m ost all resulted in line o f duty

deaths (LODD’ s.) Photos o f the deceased are found in each chap­ ter. Many o f the fires are m em o­ rable, at least to me, such as the NJ Telephone Exchange Fire in 1975, which although no one died at the scene, many died as time went on due to exposure to chemicals. The Hackensack fire in which five were killed is dear to my heart b e­ cause I had tutored one o f the fire­ fighters to take the entrance exam in 1972 (along with two dozen oth­ ers) in which he passed. He scored higher on the Hackensack list than the Bayonne one (our home town.)

He tried twice to transfer, but could not get his seniority bridged so he stayed in the HFD only to die on July 1, 1988. Other fires in­ clude the Worcester, M A cold stor­ age fire. One Meridian Plaza in Philadelphia, the M cD onald’ s fire in Houston, the Father’ s day fire in Queens, NY, the Buffalo propane explosion, the Charleston sofa su­ perstore and the Yarnell Hill fire in which 19 o f the Granite Mountain Hotshots were killed. The fires are chronologically written according to the month o f the year. In each story there is an introduction fo l­ low ed by a contributor who knows the details o f the event. There are lessons to be learned and a remem­ brance training drill at the end o f the chapter. This is a must read book to learn from the past in order to help save the future. A second b ook is presently in the works o f additional fires.

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House fire on Joanne Avenue in Seneca Falls.

Amazon Delivery Driver Assists Occupants from House Fire in Seneca Falls SEN ECA FALLS, NY - On Saturday, D ecember 14, 2024, at 1:59 P.M., firefighters from Seneca Falls, Fayette, Waterloo, Geneva (RIT) were dispatched to a structure fire at 13 Joanne Av­ enue in Seneca Falls.

Units arrived on location with heavy smoke showing from a single-story home.

An Amazon de­ livery driver, who was in the area, dis­ covered the fire and helped to assist two occupants from the residence; one o f which reentered and tried unsuccessfully to rescue two cats.

Comm and further reported a working fire in the basement, and an additional rescue with man­ power was requested from Clyde Fire Department.

The blaze was brought under control in about 45 minutes.

A lso assisting at the scene were North Seneca Ambulance, Seneca Falls Police, NYSEG and the Red Cross.

The Seneca County Fire In­ vestigation Team was working to determine the cause.

-JEFFREY ARNOLD JEFFREY ARN0LD/@FIREPH0T025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

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PAGE 15

PAGE 16

February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

3rd Alarm Fire in W aterford Leaves 6 Injured and 1 Dead WATERFORD, NY - On D e­ cember 4, 2024, at 3:46 A.M., the Waterford FD, Boght Community Fire Co. for the FAST, and Water­ ford Rescue Squad was dispatched to 54 Broad Street for multiple calls reporting a structure fire with entrapment.

The Waterford Police Depart­ ment arrived on scene and had heavy smoke showing from the building, with people from the sec­ ond-floor evacuating from the structure. The officer on scene re­ quested EMS, as he had numerous victims from the fire and one per­ son still trapped on the third-floor o f the structure. The first chief that called en route to the scene re­ quested the second-alarm to be transmitted. The second-alarm brought Flalfmoon-Waterford FD, Mechanicville FD, Northside FD, and Clifton Park EMS to the scene.

The police department on scene confirmed they had an elderly male trapped on the third-floor o f the structure, along with a three-yearold with smoke inhalation.

The first arriving chief imme­ diately notified the dispatcher that they had a working structure fire with confirmed entrapment and heavy smoke showing on the sec­ ond and third floors in a three-story commercial apartment building.

The chief was able to confirm that everybody was out o f the secondfloor. Command advised the first arriving unit to immediately hit the hydrant on the nearby com er and lay into the scene, and to have the interior crew ready to go.

The first arriving truck com ­ pany set up in the roadway and put their bucket to the third-floor. Fire­ fighters deployed a one-and-threequarter-inch hand line and made their way to the side door o f the apartment building. One firefighter tossed the ladder to the front o f the stmcture and took out the air con­ ditioner in the window in order to get access to the second-floor.

Sheriff deputies and police officers on scene assisted firefighters in stretching multiple hand lines and moving large diameter hose out o f the center o f the roadway to get ad­ ditional apparatus into the scene.

As the firefighter climbed the lad­ der and took out the AC unit from the window, heavy fire blew out the front window as the secondfloor flashed over.

The medic on scene requested two FifeNet helicopters for victims from the fire. Firefighters deployed another supply line to the scene as they had numerous exposure issues on the 'bravo' and 'delta' sides o f the structure. EMS command re­ quested Troy Fire and Colonie EMS to the scene with Cyanokit for the victims from the fire. The young child was loaded into an ambulance and taken to Albany M edical Center for their injuries from the fire.

Firefighters in the front o f the building made their way to the sec­ ond-floor with a hand line to at­ tempt to make an aggressive

interior attack as they had addi­ tional firefighters attempting to make their way to the third-floor from the stairwell in the front o f the stmcture in order to conduct a rescue o f the trapped victim. E x­ tremely heavy fire pushed out the rear o f the stmcture, consuming the entire second and third floors, and began spreading to the neighboring building. The heat was so intense from the fire that it began to cause the trees nearby to smoke.

Firefighters in the rear o f the building had Flalfmoon-Water­ ford's FD ’ s tmck company lay in to the church parking lot and fire­ fighters deployed multiple hand lines from the tmck company into the yard and up the stairwell o f the neighboring building that had begun to catch fire. Firefighters yelled for the pump operator to charge the lines. As firefighters were walking to the rear o f the building, one o f them fell on the icy surface from the heavy amount o f water flowing on scene. The hand lines quickly began to get charged and firefighters on the ex­ terior portion o f the stmcture began to knock down the heavy fire con­ dition. The tmck company that quickly set up on scene deployed its aerial device while the pump operator charged the pipe to the ladder, and firefighters went into master stream operations.

Firefighters in the front o f the structure continued to attempt to make an aggressive push inside o f the building, but extremely heavy smoke and heat forced them back.

As firefighters were working in the front o f the stmcture venting the windows, heavy fire rolled across the second-floor apartment and back out the windows. Command transmitted the third-alarm, re­ questing resources from the Round Fake FD for another rapid inter­ vention team to the scene, Maple­ w ood FD for a cover company to Northside fire station, FTill Crest FD to the scene, Clifton Park FD to standby, Jonesville FD for a standby, Rexford FD for a county move up, Visher Ferry FD, and the West Crescent FD for cover com ­ panies. As firefighters were work­ ing on scene, command pulled them from the building and al­ low ed them to change their bottles out as the Mechanicville and Wa­ terford tmck companies opened up their master streams, knocking down a heavy portion o f the heavy fire in the building.

With the significant amount o f water flowing on scene, firefighters took out the front door o f the com ­ mercial stmcture below and heavy amounts o f water flowed out o f the building, along with boxes o f Pokemon cards, and other sports memorabilia. Firefighters on scene changed out their air bottles and waited for command to give them the go ahead to go back into the

JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER/SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY

Waterford Firefighters make a push to the second-floor to conduct a search and knock down the fire. structure and finish hitting hot spots. Within one hour, firefighters had a significant portion o f the fire under control. Command was able to confirm that they had six patients on scene that were treated for in­ juries from the fire and transported to the local hospital. The Saratoga County cause and origin team ar­ rived on scene and the New York State Office o f Fire Prevention and Control was contacted for addi­ tional resources to the scene for the investigation.

Firefighters continued hitting hot spots and overhauling the scene while fire investigators worked to determine the cause o f the fire.

Firefighters remained on scene until the late hours o f the morning as in­ vestigators worked to remove the victim on the third-floor that did not survive the fire. Eater that day, the child from the fire that was brought to the hospital was transported to the Shriners Flospital for children in New England for her injuries.

The N ew York State Office o f Fire Prevention and Control has not released their official cause o f the fire. Broad Street remained close throughout the entire day and re­ opened that evening. The entire building was a total loss. No in­ juries were reported by firefighters on scene. The identity o f the de­ ceased victim has not been released to the public.

- JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER

JEFFREY BELSCHWIHDER/SIDEWIHDER PHOTOGRAPHY

February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

PAGE 17

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PAGE 18

February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

H isto ric Church Fire in th e South End o f Albany Ruled A ccid e n ta l ALBANY, NY - On N ovem ­ ber 14, 2024, at 10:33 P.M., the city o f Albany em ergency co m ­ munication center became flooded with phone calls for a re­ ported church fire at 74 2nd Av­ enue at the Elijah M issionary Baptist Church in the city o f A l­ bany south end.

Multiple callers reported the church to be on fire. Engines 1, 5 9 and 2, Rescue 9, Trucks 1, 2 and 4, the rescue squad, Mohawk Am ­ bulance Service, and the battalion chief responded to the scene. R es­ cue 9 arrived on scene and had heavy smoke showing from the church, immediately transmitted the Signal 30 and requested addi­ tional resources to the scene. En­ gine 5 took the fire hydrant on the corner and laid into the scene as Truck 2 took the 'bravo' side o f the street and truck 1 took the front o f the building. Firefighters notified the dispatcher that they had heavy smoke showing from the r oof o f the church and all o f the eaves.

Comm and was able to con ­ firm that everybody was out o f the church, and firefighters were goin g to attempt to make an ag­ gressive interior attack. Firefight­ ers made entry inside o f the structure and made their way up to the second-floor to begin searching for the seat o f the fire.

As firefighters were doing so, ad­ ditional firefighters began to com e inside o f the main area o f the church and found heavy smoke visible in the r o o f line areas. Firefighters took out a win­ dow for ventilation, which caused the fire to grow in intensity.

Additional firefighters quickly began to toss ladders to the adjacent building and deploy multiple hand lines and two-anda-half-inch hand lines to the roof area for defensive operations if necessary. Thick, heavy black smoke continued to push heavily from the belt top area o f the church and out o f the roof. Fire­ fighters on the first-floor had heavy fire pushing over their heads at the r o o f area. As they were attempting to hit the fire in the high roof areas, large portions o f the building began to fall around them, and firefighters made their way back to the safety o f the doorway.

As firefighters continued to make an aggressive push on the second-floor, they notified com ­ mand that they had extremely heavy fire conditions on the sec­ ond-floor in the balcony area, and the fire had made its way into the structural members o f the roof.

As firefighters were working, heavy fire blew through the roof o f the structure on the 'delta' and 'bravo' sides. A s this was occur­ ring, firefighters were deploying a two-and-a-half-inch hand line to the second-floor to continue the effort o f making an aggressive push inside o f the church. As fire­ fighters pushed across the bal-

JUMP TOFILE#112924104

cony, they noticed the floor had burned through and had becom e unsafe for them to continue to go forward. Firefighters held their p o ­ sition with the two-and-a-half-inch hand line, and another battalion ch ief in the rear o f the structure stated that they had heavy fire that had breached the stain glass w in­ dows in the rear, and requested an­ other truck company to set up in the back.

Command inside o f the struc­ ture notified units on the secondfloor that they needed to start to back out, and firefighters from the truck company and rescue squad were goin g to give them suppres­ sion support from the r o o f next door. Firefighters made their way outside and as they were doing so, heavy fire blew through the 'delta' side o f the structure and a large portion o f the roof started to give way, sending hot embers flying into the air. As this was happening, firefighters began to pull the hand lines from the structure and ex ­ tremely large pieces o f roof began to crash down into the first-floor.

Firefighters utilized a hand line from the doorway to protect the exit as they continued to work to knock down the fire and pull the hand lines from the building. As soon as all o f the hand lines were out o f the building. Truck 1 began to back up on the street and get into position to go into master stream operations. An additional truck company backed down the street and set up next to Engine 9.

As firefighters were setting up for master stream operations, they ex­ perienced a major collapse inside o f the structure o f the second-floor balcony into the first-floor, send­ ing a large colum n o f smoke out the front door o f the structure and through a portion o f the r oof and bell top. Firefighters on the ground stretched a supply line to the truck company.

Fire on the 'bravo' side and 'charlie' side o f the structure had burned through the ro o f area and a significant portion o f the r oof had fell to the ground nearby. After es­ tablishing all o f the water supplies, firefighters in the front o f the structure went into master stream operations, putting over 1000GPM through the front o f the structure. As they were doing so, the heavy black turbulent smoke and heavy fire began to die down.

Firefighters on the roof next door continued utilizing hand lines to knock down the visible fire. Large amounts o f water poured out the front door o f the structure into the street. As firefighters continued to work on scene, heavy fire blew through the 'bravo' side o f the structure along with the stain glass windows in the front o f the struc­ ture. Firefighters deployed addi­ tional hand lines to those areas and began to attempt to knock down

the fire. One firefighter utilized a pike pole and began to break out the stained-glass w indow s on the front o f the structure to gain access to the fire.

Additional resources from the city o f Troy’ s FD and Watervliet Arsenal FD were brought into the city to cover calls. Firefighters continued to conduct exterior o p ­ erations and master stream opera­ tions for an extended period o f time until the early hours o f the morning. During this time frame, they had multiple collapses on the structure. As soon as all o f the heavy fire conditions were knocked down, command switched over and firefighters uti­ lized caution and began to inspect the structural integrity o f the build­ ing with the help o f the city's engi­ neer.

Firefighters on scene contin­ ued hitting hot spots until the early hours o f the morning. During day­ light, firefighters made their way inside along with members o f the city's structural engineering team and began to look into the safety o f the building. Fire investigators began to conduct their investiga­ tion into what caused the fire.

After an extended period o f time and an extensive investigation, fire investigators were able to deter­ mine that a space heater caused the fire. No injuries were reported dur­ ing the extensive operation. The city o f Albany lost a major histor­ ical building from this fire.

- JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER

JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER/SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY

JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER/SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY

Heavy smoke pushes from the bell tower of the Elijah Missionary Baptist Church in the city of Albany's south end.

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

February, 2025

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PAGE 20

February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

APPARATUS IN ACTION If you have photos you would like to see in our Apparatus in Action feature please upload them on our website www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderNews.com.

Bob Long

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1st Responder Newspaper - NY

February, 2025

PAGE 21

Long Island Metro

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January 31 - February 2 ,2025 Nassau Coliseum |Uniondale, NY Three days of exhibits and education on Long Island for fire/EMS personnel of all ranks. Tickets: $25 per person/day!

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PAGE 22

February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

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JOHN WALTHERS- SUFFOLK FIRE PHOTOS

MASTIC, NY - On Saturday, January 11th at approximately 1:23 P.M., the Mastic Fire Department was dispatched to a house fire on Biltmore Drive, just off Riverside Avenue in Mastic Beach. Multiple calls flooded police and fire dispatch centers reporting a blaze that rapidly escalated in intensity.

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February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

LONG ISLAND] ADVERTISER

INDEX

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I f y o u have p h otos y o u w ou ld like to s ee in our “Patch o f the m onth “feature please upload them on our website, w w w .lstR esp on derN ew s.com or em ail them to L in d sey @ lstR esp on d erN ew s.co m .

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CORPORATE INFORMATION 1st Responder N ew s (ISSN 1525-1683) - New York edition - Vol. 27 No.2 - is published monthly, 12 times a year for $48 per year by Belsito Communications, Inc., 1 Ardmore Street, N ew Windsor, NY 12553. Pe­ riodicals Postage Paid at Newburgh, NY and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to 1st Responder News, 1Ardmore Street, New Windsor, NY 12553. N o financial responsibility is assumed by this newspaper to publish a display, classified, or legal ad or for t y p o ­ graphical errors ex­ cept of reprinting that part o f the ad which was omitted or in error. Om issions or errors must be brought to the at­ tention o f the newspaper during the same month o f publication. Printed in Canada.

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Car Fire Extends to Home in W est S ayville WEST SAYVILLE, NY - On December 13, 2024, the West Sayville FD was activated for a vehicle fire at 35 Colony Drive. 2nd Assistant Chief Michael Chiesa arrived quickly on scene and upgraded the call to a working structure fire, as it had already extended into the garage and attic. Mutual aid was received from the Sayville, Bohemia, Bayport and East Islip Fire Departments as Community Ambulance pro­ vided rehab support.

Notice: The advertisements, articles, and letters contained in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views o f 1st Responder Inc. and Belsito Communications, Inc. Advertisements are sold pur­ suant to the “space available” and corresponding fee schedule. The mere fact that advertisements are contained in this publication does not express nor imply that 1st Responder Inc. and Belsito Commu­ nications, Inc. vouches fo r the credibility o f the claims made in the advertisements or the representations expressed o r implied in them.

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This patch belongs to the Bridgehampton Fire Department, located in Suffolk County, NY.

Additional

APPARATUS IN ACTION

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from

our w ebsite w w w .lstR esp on derN ew s.com o r em ail them to L in d sey @ lstR esp on d erN ew s.co m .

Long Island can be found on our website at www.1rbn.com

PARKER AUSTIN

Fast-Moving Garage Fire in Brookhaven BROOKHAVEN, NY - On November 24,2024 around 3:00 P.M., the Brookhaven Fire Department was activated for a signal 13 (residential structure fire). On arrival of 5-3-31, he had heavy fire from the garage and quickly dropped the 13-35.

Crews responded in and found no one hurt and extinguished all fire. Crews went back into service one hour later.

RRADLEY FOWLER/FIRE GUY PHOTOGRAPHY

North Patchogue Fire Department Engine 3 (5-17-3), a new 2024 Pierce Enforcer Pumper, operating on a mutual aid to Sayville FD for a commercial fire.

February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

PAGE 25

LONG ISLANi T BUDDY SHOTS I f y o u h a v e p h o to s y o u w o u ld lik e to s e e in ou r “B u d d y S h ots”feature, p le a se u p lo a d th em o n ou r w ebsite, w w w .ls tR e sp o n d e r N e w s .c o m or e m a il th em to L i n d s e y @ ls t R e s p o n d e r N e w s . c o m .

JOHN WALTHERS- SUFFOLK FIRE PHOTOS

JOHN WALTHERS- SUFFOLK FIRE PHOTOS

Brookhaven Ladies Aux member Ellen Fink Komosinski with FM Kevin at Brookhaven's open house.

Firefighters from Mastic FD battle a house fire with assistance from mutual aid departments.

Mastic Fire Department Responds to Intense House Fire on Biltmore Drive

JOHN WALTHERS- SUFFOLK FIRE PHOTOS

Wading River Lts. Brendan Donnelly & Salvatore Como take time for a quick pic during the department's open house.

MASTIC, NY - On Saturday, January 11th at approximately 1:23 P.M., the Mastic Fire Depart­ ment was dispatched to a house fire on Biltmore Drive, just o ff Riverside Avenue in Mastic Beach. Multiple calls flooded p o ­ lice and fire dispatch centers re­ porting a blaze that rapidly escalated in intensity.

Upon arrival. Assistant C hief Rudy Sunderman observed that the home was already engulfed in flames. R ecogn izin g the severity o f the situation, a working fire was declared, prompting immediate

Jump to file # 0 1 15 25 1 00

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mutual aid requests from neigh­ boring fire departments.

C h ief Steven Januszkiewicz assumed command at the scene, with Assistant C h ief Sunderman serving as the operations chief.

Firefighters from multiple depart­ ments were requested to battle the intense flames. Simultaneously, EM S agencies were present, pro­ viding standby services and sup­ porting firefighter rehabilitation

efforts.

Crews deployed three hand­ lines and utilized a deck gun to fight the fire. Thanks to the coor­ dinated efforts o f all responders, the fire was contained, and no in­ juries were reported.

After approximately two hours o f firefighting, the scene was turned over to the Brookhaven Fire Marshal and the Suffolk County Police Arson Squad for further investigation into the cause o f the blaze.

- JOHN WALTHERS

JUHN WALTHERS- SUFFULK FIRE PHOTOS

Brookhaven Firefighters Simeone and Arellano take a photo as they await orders before a live burn demonstration during open house.

JOHN WALTHERS- SUFFOLK FIRE PHOTOS

PAGE 26

February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

LONG ISLANi T

BRADLEY FOWLER/FIRE GUY PHOTOGRAPHY

Sound Beach FD Teaches the Importance of Closed Doors SOUND BEACH, NY - On Friday, November 1,2024, the Sound Beach Fire Department conducted a fire prevention open house. During the event, the department emphasized the im­ portance of closing your bedroom door before you go to sleep. Sound Beach Fire Department Ex-Chief Handshaw led the presentation. This demonstration showed how a closed door can protect you from toxic smoke and deadly flames, and also slow down the growth of a fire.

BRADLEY FOWLER/FIRE GUY PHOTOGRAPHY

Selden Fully Involved House Fire SELDEN, NY - On Friday, December 27, 2024 at approximately 6:30 P.M., Selden Fire Department along with mutual aid departments operated at a working residential structure fire located at 370 Magnolia Drive. The fire is currently under investigation. One person was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. Units operated under the command of 5-25-30.

PET FRIENDS I f y o u have p h otos y o u w ou ld like to se e in our “Pet Friends”feature, please u pload them on our w ebsite, w w w .lstR esp on derN ew s.com or em ail them to L in d sey@ lstR esp on d erN ew s.com

PARKER AUSTIN

Brookhaven House Fire BROOKHAVEN, NY - On December 8, 2024 around 6:45 A.M., the Brookhaven Fire Department was alerted for a Signal 13 (residential structure fire). On arrival of 5-3-31, he had fire showing from the 2 side of the house and quickly dropped the 35 (working fire). Crews responded in and found no one hurt and extinguished all fire. Crews went back in service two hours later.

JOHN WALTHERS- SUFFOLK FIRE PHOTOS

1st Responder News Senior Correspondent John Walthers' pup Milo visited Wading River FD for open house and wanted to take the Polaris for a spin it seems.

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

February, 2025

PAGE 27

LONG ISLA

Do You Hear What I Hear Chaplain’s Corner Didymus McHugh

During the Christmas season, we hear a song that asks how your hearing is. In the song it explains what was supposed to be heard. It wanted to clarify that we heard what the main singer heard.

There are many conversations that we have where the other party just does not pay attention, and that is where some the challenges start.

We may not verify that the other person hears the point to we are try­ ing to convey to them and that may be where frustration starts.

There are times when our spouse doesn't pay attention to us or we don't pay attention to them, and that is where some major chal­ lenges may start. We do not con­ firm what the other person says or what we want them to hear. H ow many times we may tune out when we are told that we need to take the trash out or something like that? In the same conversation, we may be told that a close friend has been di­ agnosed with a disease. I f we do not pay attention to family, we may pay the consequences for a very long time.

There are some people that are trained to listen. Some people can diagnose a problem just by listen­ ing. I know some mechanics that can tell you exactly what is not right with your car just by listening to it. as you pull up to the garage. A doctor uses the stethoscope to listen to you heart or lungs or other parts and can tell that there is a chal­ lenge.

D o we listen or do we just hear? D o we hear a noise or know what it signifies?

Many times people will text or email something but we cannot hear the influences or sarcasm, in the writing. This is why it is better to have conversations with people.

You can ask the questions to clarify what the person means, right away.

instead o f taking a day worth o f communications to try to understand what is written.

D o we hear the words coming out o f someone's mouth or do we also watch the body language that is sending us messages that are differ­ ent from the words? H ow many times have you asked someone how they are doing and you got back the answer “fine”, and knew that their world was falling apart around them?

There are times when listening to someone may be difficult because the person may have an accent or challenge speaking and it may be frustrating for us to listen but it is that point in time that we may need to ask follow-up questions so that we know, truly know what the person is saying.

I have noticed that when there is a lot o f background noise or very im­ portant information. I may need to spell things out or ask for the person on the other end to repeat it to me.

I f we do not follow instructions or hear something correct, it may mean that we or others can die.

When I was on Haz-Mat, we would spell the chemical. We had to make sure that we were looking up the cor­ rect information, especially when we deal with chemicals, we need to make sure that we are on our "A" game. I f we mess up, we can mess up with big consequences.

In construction, if you mishear something, the error may cost mil­ lions o f dollars to correct. If you take the wrong part and put it into a build­ ing, it may cause the building to fail.

I f we don't verify, we may write down the wrong phone number, per­ son's name or address where we are to pick someone up from.

You may want to take lessons on active listening but remember that an important part o f conversations is not what you want to say or what you think you said but what the other person thinks that they have heard.

D o you know what I mean?

JOHN WALTHERS- SUFFOLK FIRE PHOTOS

Mastic Beach resident Kayla Masotto stands with Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, Chiefs of the Mastic FD, Mastic Ambulance, Suffolk Fire Rescue representatives and other dignitaries as she is honored for her heroic rescue on the ice at the Poospatuck Creek.

M astic Resident Honored fo r Heroic Ice Rescue on Poospatuck Creek M A STIC, N Y - O n Monday, D ecem b er 30, 2024, Suffolk County E xecutive E d Rom aine jo in e d m em bers o f Suffolk Fire, R escu e and Em ergency Services (FRES), and the M astic Fire D e ­ partment, to honor Kayla M asotto o f M astic Beach, NY, for her heroic actions during a daring ice rescue.

M asotto, 22, sprang into a c­ tion on D ecem ber 26, 2024 at 12:30 P.M., when a man fell through the thin ice o f Poospatuck Creek. Hearing cries for help, she grabbed her paddleboard and quickly paddled to the victim, dis­ tributing her w eight to prevent the ice from breaking further. She

Jump to file #011525101

w» aP m anaged to pull the man aboard and, with assistance from b y ­ standers on shore, brought him to safety.

M astic Fire Department C hief and Suffolk OEM Deputy Director Steven Januszkiew icz noted that the ice was dangerously thin, no m ore than one-inch thick, due to warmer temperatures.

At the cerem ony held at the M astic Fire Department, M asotto receiv ed a proclam ation from County Executive Romaine and a bravery award from Suffolk

FRES. Assistant C h ief Rudy M. Sunderman used the event to re­ mind the public o f the dangers o f thin ice. "You ca n ’ t gauge its thickness just by look in g at it," Sunderman warned. "If y ou see som eon e in distress on ice or in the water, call 9-1-1 and wait for trained rescuers."

Joined by her family and close friends, M asotto expressed her gratitude for the recognition. "I’ d do it again in a heartbeat," she said. She also urged others to step up in em ergencies instead o f rely­ ing on others to act.

- JOHN WALTHERS

Stay safe.

Didymus McHugh Didymus-mchugh.com

PARKER AUSTIN

Medford Brush Fire Quickly Contained MEDFORD, NY - On November 12, 2024, the Medford Fire Department was activated for a re­ ported brush fire. On arrival of 5-14-32, he found heavy fire and smoke in the woods. Stump jumpers responded in and extinguished all fire. Crews went back in service one hour later.

PAGE 28

February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

LONG ISLA DRILLS/TRAINING If you have photos you would like to see in our Drills feature, please upload them on our website www.lstResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@lstResponderN ews.com.

Radio Communications It has been said that experience is the best teacher. This state­ ment can’t be truer than in the fire service. More specifically, during radio communications. It is next to impossible for any fire­ fighter, officer, instructor etc... to hone the skill of using a radio unless there is frequent use ei­ ther during a drill or an actual call. This article is aimed mostly at company officers because it’s the company officers that have an obligation to not only prop­ erly teach how to communicate using a radio but more impor­ tantly provide the opportunities to use a radio.

The bottom line is instructors (including company officers) can provide all the particulars about radio communication but with­ out consistent practice speaking into a radio the likely result will end up sounding like mostly un­ necessary, white noise. Remem­ ber that the young “blackhats” you are instructing may some­ day become officers and will have to be properly prepared not to mention that in a volunteer company those same blackhats may be an acting officer on any given call depending on avail­ ability and will have to commu­ nicate clearly with dispatchers.

To start NFPA 1802 establishes requirements for portable com­ munications equipment used in the hazard zone. This new stan­ dard identifies the following: Operating environment parame­ ters of RF voice communica­ tions devices (RF devices) and remote speaker microphones (RSMs) Minimum requirements for the design, performance, testing, and certification of RF devices and RSMs Using 1802 one of the more im­ portant requirements that most of us have seen completely botched is that any transmission begins with the caller first iden­ tifying who they are calling and THEN identifying themselves.

You should also wait until the person or entity such as “fire control” or “dispatch” responds BEFORE proceeding with your

transmission - this is especially important when calling a MAYDAY. Said another way: when first talking on the radio you first identify who is being called and then identify yourself (the speaker). To illustrate: “Fire Control - Engine 406”. In this case, the caller (presumably an officer) is calling “fire control (dispatch) and then identifying themselves as the officer in En­ gine 406. Once Fire Control re­ sponds the officer will then proceed with the transmission.

Many training videos with re­ gards to radio use highlight the “Five C's of Fireground Radio Communications” Concise - Stick to The Point.

Clarity - Speak Clearly.

Confidence - Confidently Share Your Information.

Control - Keep Your Voice Strong and Assertive Capability - Continuously Prac­ tice to Sharpen Your Skills.

The problem with all of that is what really constitutes “clarity”?

What exactly is “concise” com­ munication? What information is really important? These are all very subjective. To a new or act­ ing officer what may be concise and/or important likely wasn’t and it is only time and experi­ ence that will narrow down those communications to sound more professional.

From a more practical, everyday language standpoint radio com­ munications should be short and sweet. Don’t say five words when two will do. The reality is not talking (less is more) may be just as important and likely more useful than excessive talking.

Also, in keeping with short and sweet communication don’t call the dispatcher several times for the same information. It is under­ standable if you didn’t hear a dispatcher’s initial response but repeating the question indicates you weren’t paying attention. A more acceptable response would be “please repeat the transmission”. This is indicative that not hearing a transmission was the result of ambient and

background sound.

There is also what is called “white noise radio chatter”. An example: Dispatch this is Engine 2, con­ firmed two vehicle accident be­ tween a van and a car. There are no injuries, so you can clear am­ bulance. There is no entrapment so you can cancel Squad 3 and Car 5. We are going to cut batter­ ies and clean some road debris and will be here for awhile but we can take another call if vou get one. Book us on scene available.

(White noise is underlined) Revised concise version that says the same info: Dispatch, Engine 2. Two vehicle accident, no injuries. Clear Am­ bulance. Cancel Squad 3 and Car 5. Book us on scene available.

If clear and concise radio com­ munication is so important then why do officers (acting too) talk so much? The answer is be­ cause they don’t have enough air time to practice especially on calls that aren’t critical or per­ haps long-winded officers just like the sound of their own voice but either circumstance is unac­ ceptable.

commander.

Since the emphasis here is on hands-on training it is incumbent to discuss actual drills that pro­ vide radio communications prac­ tice. First and most obvious is any simulated fire at your train­ ing site. Assuming your engines stage and then drive in to start the exercise give an aspiring of­ ficer the opportunity to occupy the “front seat” and call in an ar­ rival response and provide com­ mands to the crew of that apparatus. If I had to guess many firefighters experience the equiv­ alent of writer’s block but once they get going radio communica­ tions will flow easily.

A second drill would be similar to many firefighter classes where a picture is shown on a screen to the class while the officer is in a secluded room with the same image and provides what is com­ monly known as a CAN report (Conditions, Actions, Needs) based on the circumstances seen in the picture. The key in this exercise is to just state what you observe, what you are doing and what you need. Don’t make assumptions or add unneces­ sary white noise information.

This drill can also be used for Ex­ plorers and junior firefighters.

Realistically, any drill should start by introducing the radio it­

self and all the parts. One point of emphasis should be waiting that split second for the beep sound when you first key up the microphone before starting your transmission. Nobody is going to hear what you said when that beeping sound occurs. Other key points would be to make sure firefighters are on the cor­ rect channel and lastly to avoid the orange button unless there is an actual emergency because in most if not all districts that or­ ange button is another mayday caller and so even in training pressing that button and your local dispatch center will be no­ tified as if there is a firefighter in distress.

To summarize, proper radio com­ munication is essential to the fire service and so it is incumbent upon everyone but especially the chiefs and line officers to pro­ vide the opportunities for every­ one to use a radio because ultimately make sure your de­ partment drills on radio commu­ nications.

Good radio communication is so important that in some cases aspiring offi­ cers may not reach their poten­ tial and remain blackhats due to not having adequate training on radio communications thus never developing the confidence and skill necessary.

- JOSEPH CEA

One situation you NEVER want to do is get into a “back and forth” argument. Don’t highlight any mistakes or grievances for the world to hear. Save any dis­ agreements or criticism for a de­ briefing after the incident. To drive this point home if you are a chief/officer and you are criticiz­ ing firefighters on the radio (es­ pecially if the problem boils down to training opportunities that they didn’t provide) then you need to consider resigning your position.

Not getting into arguments is es­ pecially true for anyone not on scene including chiefs and offi­ cers. Also, on this note is that only the officer on scene should be using the radio. Every fire­ fighter has a job to do and al­ though most if not all should have a radio only the officer should be communicating with dispatch and/or the incident

PROVIDED

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

February, 2025

PAGE 29

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PAGE 30

February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

W ind-D riven Bronx M u ltip le -A la rm Leaves 250 D isplaced BRONX, NY - On January 10th at 1:42 A.M., Bronx dispatch received a phone alarm reporting an electrical fire at 2910 Wallace Avenue, a 200x100 6-story OMD. Dispatch was also receiving “smoke in the area”calls.

Battalion 15 transmitted a 1075 at 1:50 A.M., follow ed quickly by a 2nd alarm two minutes later for a fire on the sixth-floor. Three lines were stretched and residents were evacuated. D ivision 7 re­ ported at 2:11 A.M. that flames had broken through the r o o f and transmitted the third-alarm. The wind-driven flames spread quickly, and a fourth-alarm was sounded at 2:23 A.M. At 2:36 A.M., Field C om m reported fire on the top floor, in the cockloft and through the roof with six lines operating, with two into cockloft nozzles and tower ladders being set up.

Flames continued to spread, soon passing over the throat. All members were withdrawn from the top floor. At 2:49 A.M., a full 5th-alarm was transmitted with the requirement the two trucks be 95’tower ladders. By 3:30 A.M., heavy fire was in the top floor and

to FILE#011325106

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through the ro o f o f all four wings o f the building.

The fire did not drop down to the lower floors, and the intensity slow ly lessened. Many special calls for engines and tower lad­ ders continued. As the flames con­ tinued to darken down, the requests became for relief appara­ tus. As more units were released, by 1:18 P.M., the fire was placed probably w ill hold with four en­ gines and four tower ladders re­ maining to hit any hot spots. At 1:58 P.M., command put the blaze under control. Duration 12 hours and 16 minutes.

The fire is believed to have started in the cockloft, but an exact cause is still under investi­ gation. Residents were directed to a local school where the Red Cross and City Agencies provided assistance. Seven people, includ­ ing five firefighters and two civil­ ians, received non-life-threatening injuries.

BILL TOMPKINS - WWW.BTFIREPHOTOS.COM

- BILL TOMPKINS

BILL TOMPKINS - WWW.BTFIREPHOTOS.COM

BILL TOMPKINS - WWW.BTFIREPH0T0S.COM

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

February, 2025

PAGE 31

PATCH OF THE MONTH I f y o u have p h otos y o u w ou ld like to s ee in ou r “Patch o f the m onth “feature please upload them on our website, w w w .lstR espon d erN ew s.com or em ail them to L in d sey @ lstR esp on d erN ew s.co m .

JOSHUA BURNS/BNP

Bed Stuy Dwelling Fire Injures One BROOKLYN, NY - Bedford Stuyvesant Firefighters were called out to a working fire at 165 Patchen Avenue, an occupied multiple-dwelling, on Sunday afternoon, December 22,2024. First arriving units quickly transmitted the 10-75 and subsequently transmitted the all-hands. One occupant of the building suffered what was believed to be non-life-threatening injuries. The cause of the fire is under active investigation by the FDNY Fire Marshalls.

EUGENE WEBER JR.

This patch belongs to FDNY Engine 60, located in Bronx County, NY.

ACTION SHOT I f y o u have p h otos y o u w ou ld like to s e e in our “A ction Sh ot’feature please upload them on our w ebsite, w w w .lstR espon d erN ew s.com o r em ail them to L in d sey @ lstR esp on d erN ew s.co m .

DAVID BURNS/@FD4D DAVID BURNS/@FD4D

The second Bed Stuyvesant job of the day on 12/22/24; all-hands for Box 930, for a fire at 400 Tompkins Avenue.

Christmas Morning Fire in Brooklyn BROOKLYN, NY - While most New Yorkers were awakening to Christmas morning with the fam­ ily, New York City Firefighters along with FDNY EMS were busy saving lives and property.

Around 9:30 A.M., Box 931 was transmitted for a working fire in an OMD. Arriving units quickly transmitted the 10-75 and subsequent all hands. The fire was brought under control with mini­ mal extension.

PAGE 32

February, 2025

1st Responder Newspaper - NY

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