|
Fallen Heroes Are Bid Farewell
|
January 23, 2005 a Dark Day in FDNY History
Sunday, January 23, 2005 will forever be remembered as a dark and devastating day for the New York City Fire Department, when we lost three brave members in two separate incidences: Lt. Curtis W. Meyran of Battalion 26 and Lt. John G. Bellew of Ladder 27, both in the Bronx, and Firefighter Richard T. Sclafani of Ladder 103 in Brooklyn.
All three members were laid to rest the last week of January amid a sea of family, friends and thousands of Department members who came to celebrate the lives of these heroic men. Lieutenant Meyran and Lieutenant Bellew made the Supreme Sacrifice at a third-alarm fire located at 236 E. 178th Street in the Mount Hope section of the Bronx. Meyran and Bellew, along with Firefighters Joseph P. DiBernardo and Jeffrey G. Cool of Rescue 3 and Firefighters Eugene Stolowski and Brendan K. Cawley of Ladder 27, were forced to jump from a fourth floor rear window after they became trapped above the fire while performing searches for reported trapped occupants. They were among the first units to respond to the mid-morning blaze.
Lieutenants Meyran and Bellew were transported to St. Barnabas Hospital where they both succumbed to their injuries. Firefighters DiBernardo, Cool, Stolowski and Cawley were all transported to area hospitals in critical condition. Later that afternoon, the Department suffered another devastating loss. Firefighter Sclafani made the Supreme Sacrifice Sacrifice after responding to a second-alarm fire at 577 Jerome Street in the East New York section of Brooklyn. Firefighter Sclafani and members of Ladder 103 entered the basement where the fire started and began searching both for the location of the fire and to rescue any trapped occupants. During these search operations, Firefighter Sclafani became separated from his colleagues. He was found minutes later unconscious and in respiratory arrest on the cellar staircase. Firefighter Sclafani was transported to Brookdale Hospital where he died a short time later.
Back to Top
Mourning the Loss, Celebrating the Life
Lieutenant Bellew was laid to rest on January 27 and was mourned by family and thousands of friends and Department members at St. Margaret of Antioch Church in his hometown of Pearl River in Rockland County. Nearly 10,000 people joined in saluting a hero and recalling the life of John Bellew. During the service, his wife, Eileen, paid tribute to a man remembered as a consummate father and husband who always put his family ahead of everything.
 "Our family became the entire world to John, and he spent his time planning and dreaming of ways to make our family life better," she said. "In the end maybe the job was too big to do from here. Maybe the best way to take care of his kids was to do it from heaven."
Bellew left a job on Wall Street in 1994 to pursue a career in the Fire Department and, according to family members, he loved being a firefighter.
"I know he wasn't scared as he ran into the burning building," Eileen Bellew said of her husband. "Rather, he was excited and determined to help others who at that time were not able to help themselves."
John Bellew, who at the time of his death was 24 names away from being promoted to Lieutenant, was posthumously promoted by Fire Commissioner Scoppetta with the effective date as January 22— the day before he died. Lieutenant Bellew is survived by his wife Eileen and their four children: Brielle, Jack, Katreana and Kieran.
* * *
Back to Top
The Pride of Sheffield Avenue
Firefighter Sclafani of Ladder 103 was laid to rest on the South Shore of Staten Island on January 28. Thousands of mourners came to pay their last respects to a firefighter who was described as a "tough muscle guy," with a "teddy-bear" personality who loved children and doted on his niece and nephews.
 "My brother is my other half," said JoAnn Asch, Sclafani's younger sister. During the funeral service Asch read aloud from a letter she wrote many years ago recommending Richard for a church retreat.
"We have a bond that often goes unspoken. He is my strength when I am weak, my friend when I am in need," she said.
Firefighters called Sclafani the "go-to guy" who always stepped up to work holidays for other firefighters that had families. Because he was single, Sclafani always made sure he was the first to run into danger. Lt. Louis Rufano of Engine Company 290 said, "Richard Sclafani was a true hero, not because of what he did Sunday, but what he did his whole life. He left us doing what he loved to do - going all in."
Fire Commissioner Scoppetta addressed Firefighter Sclafani's family and mourners saying, "Richie was willing to put others before himself. In the end, he died the way he lived, with dignity and pride and an innate understanding that people in this world need help and he was always ready to lend a hand." In addition to his sister, Firefighter Sclafani is survived by his mother Joan.
* * *
Back to Top
Fearless Leadership, Tremendous Loss
On January 29, more than 9,000 people flocked to Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Malverne, Long Island to pay their last respects to the family of Lt. Curtis Meyran. Meyran was remembered as a family man and an unassuming hero that had been cited for bravery twice in his career.
 "An old firefighter once said to me, you'll never get wealthy on this job, but you'll never starve, either," said Battalion Chief Phil Gaetani, Meyran's former captain at Ladder 123. "He was right about the monetary part. But, for those of you who knew Curt Meyran, you were wealthy beyond measure."
Fire Commissioner Scoppetta recalled a story about Jeanette, Lt. Meyran's wife, helping him study for the Lieutenant's test. She would often drop notes into his lunches and audio recorded some of the "dry parts" and "spiced it up with jokes, and affectionate reminders of home and family life, so that he would listen to those recordings and learn the materials."
Commissioner Scoppetta lauded Lt. Meyran's leadership and bravery, even in the most dire of circumstances. His actions that Sunday ensured that some might live, said Scoppetta. "He chose chance at life in the face certain death," he said. "He made that choice; to try make it to safety any way could, because he so valued life, and so loved Jeanette and the children with whom wanted to live out his life."
Lt. Meyran is survived by his wife Jeanette and their three sons.
Back to Top
 On Sunday, January 23, three of our firefighters responded to their last alarms. The papers have taken to calling it “Black Sunday” and with good reason. It was—without question—the worst day this Department has experienced since 9/11.
In the Bronx, it was a day of impossible choices for six of our firefighters. Two men lost their lives, and three others remain hospitalized, in critical condition. In Brooklyn, one of our firefighters conducted his last earch—a brave but doomed effort to save the lives of others. Lieutenant Curtis Meyran, Lieutenant John Bellew and Firefighter Richard Sclafani join the long list of firefighters who have given their lives in the line of duty—1,131 firefighters in 140 years.
We continue to pray for the recovery of the three other men from the Bronx fire who are still critically injured: Firefighters Jeffrey Cool, Joseph DiBernardo and Eugene Stolowski. The Chief Medical Officer at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx praised the firefighters and EMS personnel who handled these injured members, saying that they “played a vital role in reducing the number of fatalities with their quick initial assessment, treatment, immobilization and skilled transport of these firefighters.”
* * *
As a result of the tragedy in the Bronx, we are working as quickly as possible to obtain safety equipment—including a personal rope—that will quickly and efficiently allow a firefighter to exit from an untenable situation. This is a top priority for the Department. First Deputy Commissioner Frank Cruthers (who oversees Safety), Chief of Department Peter Hayden, Chief of Operations Salvatore Cassano, Chief of Safety Allen Hay and I are all committed to seeing this process through to completion as soon as possible.
Our Research & Development (R&D) Unit has already begun work on obtaining or creating a “Personal Safety System” by canvassing manufacturers and other end-users (i.e. the military), looking carefully not just at the rope, which must be strong and lightweight, but also at the critically important deployment method.
Back to Top
Our firefighters and fire officers working at R&D have identified some 8 to 10 different systems, samples of which are being obtained. We will conduct our tensile strength and drop tests, followed by operational testing to see which systems are potentially viable for our members. After we narrow down the selection process, various types of rope/deployment systems will be given over to the Bureau of Training which will conduct exhaustive tests to determine what’s best for our members. We will also conduct a pilot program in the field for further evaluations by firefighters. Both the UFA and UFOA will be involved in this process, and the evaluations by firefighters and fire officers will provide vital information that will be used to select the best possible system.
I am convinced that we can obtain ropes that meet the needs of our members and are effectively integrated into the existing bunker gear and other equipment you carry. You should be confident that the firefighters and fire officers who test the new system will ensure that it not only works, but works in a way that does not impede any other aspect of firefighting.
As soon as we are satisfied we have a Personal Safety System that meets our needs, we will seek to expedite the funding. Normally it takes the Department at least nine months to gain funding to bid and execute a contract for new equipment. However, in this case we have obtained approval from the Comptroller’s Office and Corporation Counsel for an emergency procurement, which will shorten the process to a matter of weeks, not months. I assure all of you that the new Personal Safety System will be deployed as quickly as possible.
The new System must adhere to the very strict standards this Department applies to every piece of safety equipment we provide to our members. And once we have obtained it - we will make sure all firefighters are properly trained in using it.
* * *
In addition to the ropes, we have fast-tracked the installation of computers equipped to record FDNY handietalkie transmissions at the scene of an incident in all 50 Battalions. This program was being piloted in a handful of battalions throughout the city, including Battalion 17 in the Bronx, which responded to the third-alarm fire on January 23. The recordings from that incident will be invaluable in helping us reconstruct the steps that lead to this tragedy. By deploying this recording system Department-wide, we will gain an even better understanding of our daily operations.
Back to Top
Blood Drives In Honor of Fallen Heroes
Special Blood Drives Support Members Critically Injured in Bronx Blaze
 In the wake of two fatal fires, the New York Blood Center and the FDNY teamed up to sponsor two special blood drives in honor of Lieuts. Curtis Meyran and John Bellew and Firefighter Richard Sclafani and in support of Firefighters Joseph DiBernardo, Jeffrey Cool and Eugene Stolowski – all three of whom remain hospitalized in critical condition. A fourth firefighter, Brenden Cawley, was released from the hospital on January 29. All four firefighters sustained traumatic, life-threatening injuries on January 23 when they were forced to jump from a fourth-story window after being trapped above the fire in an apartment building in the Bronx. According to the New York Blood Center, Firefighters DiBernardo, Cool, Stolowski and Cawley utilized more than 85 units of blood within the first 72 hours after the fire.
To show their support and also help replenish the general blood supply, Probationary Firefighters currently in training at the Fire Academy took time to donate blood on February 1. More than 100 Probies rolled up their sleeves to donate blood and dozens of firefighters and fire officers detailed to the Fire Academy also participated.
 The following morning, Fire Commissioner Scoppetta and Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion kicked-off a second, daylong blood drive in the Bronx. The blood drive, held at the Bronx Supreme Court Building, was also in honor of our fallen and injured members. Open to the general public, the blood drive drew more than 140 donors from around the City.
At the blood drive, Commissioner Scoppetta stressed the importance of replenishing the blood supply reminding people that donating blood was one of the easiest ways to save a life.
“Today’s blood drive is a chance for everyone to say thank you,” said Commissioner Scoppetta. “…To the three firefighters we lost, to the three firefighters who continue to fight for their lives and to every man and woman who wears the uniform of the New York City Fire Department.”
To donate blood, call 1-800-933-BLOOD to find the nearest blood donor location. Use the FDNY group donor code #43369 to mark your donation as a Fire Department contribution.
Back to Top
Bunker Gear Testing
By Assistant Chief Allen Hay Chief of Safety & Inspections Command
One of the Department’s top priorities is ensuring that its members have the most up-to-date and technologically advanced firefighting equipment. Outfitting our members with the safest and most effective protective equipment is part of that effort. More than 10 years have passed since we began outfitting firefighters with bunker gear and, to ensure that our members have the very best protective equipment available to them - regardless of cost - it is important that we monitor the industry and evaluate new and possibly better products.
Last month, the Department issued a Request for Information (RFI) to major bunker gear manufacturers. The bunker gear submitted under this new RFI will undergo comprehensive independent laboratory analysis. The purpose of this testing will be to thoroughly evaluate the different protective ensembles comprising bunker gear from different manufacturers, and how these different assemblies compare in protecting a wearer.
One thing is for certain: there will be no reduction in the level of protection afforded firefighters and fire officers with our existing bunker gear. If this current exercise proceeds, it will be in search of an improved set of gear that provides additional protection – over and above what you have today – not less protection.
Only if and when the laboratory analysis is completed would the Department move to begin field-testing different sets of gear in a pilot program. The FDNY will decide whether the bunker gear satisfactorily meets the safety requirements of the Department and those vendors will be invited to participate in the field evaluations. Of course, if a pilot program is developed, our firefighters and fire officers would play a key role in guiding the Department on which gear best meets their needs.
Back to Top
History of Bunker Gear
 After a year-long field test of various manufacturers, the Department in 1994 selected Morning Pride (now known as Total Fire) as the supplier of bunker gear. Distribution commenced in the Spring of 1994. Obtaining the gear became a priority following the tragic deaths of three members (Capt. John Drennan, and Firefighters James Young and Christopher Siedenburg) who died after being severely burned while operating on the floor above a fire that occurred on March 28, 1994, at 62 Watt Street in lower Manhattan.
However, five years later, other bunker gear manufacturers requested consideration for a new solicitation for protective clothing specifications. To ensure that it was utilizing the most up-to-date equipment, the Department developed a new pilot program to test bunker gear in mid-2000.
Specifications were created and a RFI was released on September 18, 2000. Product vendors interested in providing bunker gear to the FDNY were asked to prepare an in-depth technical proposal that addressed all aspects of the design and manufacturing features of the equipment as well as background on the company and references for all key personnel involved. Interested vendors were also requested to submit multiple sets of bunker gear for testing purposes.
After the receipt of three proposals, the Department decided to increase the number of members assigned to the pilot program. By summer 2001, all of the bunker outfits were complete, fitted, and in storage awaiting distribution and commencement of the pilot. Unfortunately, the tragic events of September 11, 2001 put the pilot program on hold indefinitely. Several members who had been selected for the pilot program were lost at the World Trade Center. Subsequently, gear was returned to the respective manufacturers, and the pilot program was suspended.
Back to Top
EMS Field Tests New Personal Protective Equipment
By Deputy Assistant Chief of EMS Jerry Z.Gombo
Under a Homeland Security Grant, the New York City Fire Department has received funding to outfit all members of the EMS Command with personal protective equipment (PPE). On January 10, the EMS Command in conjunction with the Safety/Inspections Command began a pilot program to test a variety of PPE produced by several manufacturers. Thirty members of the EMS Command of all ranks (EMT, Paramedic, Lieutenant, Captain, and Chief Officer) will participate in the field test utilizing this new equipment throughout the course of their normal workday. This weather-resistant PPE ensemble will consist of bunker-style coat and pants, boots, and gloves. All components of these systems provide protection against blood-borne pathogens (BBP). The PPE will also provide flash fire protection (limited duration) and limited splash protection to common chemicals. Gloves and boots also provide abrasion/puncture resistance. Members testing this PPE will complete a detailed survey each week, which will enable the Department to provide EMS Command members the best safety gear available in the future.
Over the course of the 12-week study, participants representing all of the five field divisions will be utilizing one of the four PPE ensembles. The equipment will be tested during assignments including all mass casualty incidents, all motor vehicle accidents, all hazardous materials
incidents, any assignment requiring BBP precautions, and any assignments involving a fire, structural collapse, or other extenuating circumstances where the user should be afforded the additional protection provided by this equipment. The test group will utilize this equipment thoroughly, and be asked to recognize the benefits and shortcomings of the ensemble.
Following the pilot phase, the Department will identify through the user group the most appropriate ensemble for use. Thereafter, the Department will proceed with the purchasing and issuance of this equipment to all members of the EMS Command. The Department hopes to make this equipment available for use by Fall 2005.
Back to Top
In the Borough : Brooklyn |
First Asian Woman Promoted to Rank of Chief in FDNY
Sophia Kwok's promotion to EMS Deputy Chief a First for Fire Department
 By the age of 12, Sophia Kwok had already traveled halfway around the world. In 1971, Kwok, the eldest of three children, made the journey with her family from Hong Kong to the United States looking for a new start in the land of opportunity. They settled in Brownsville, Brooklyn and Kwok began a journey that would eventually lead to her promotion as the first female, Asian-American Chief in the New York City Fire Department. In October 2004, Sophia Kwok became EMS Deputy Chief Kwok in front of dozens friends, family and well-wishers at Fire Department Headqarters.
"Sophia came to the United States when she was 12 years old, couldn't speak English, but still managed to get an education," Fire Commissioner Scoppetta said. "She is just a wonderful example of how you can make your way in this country, no matter how difficult the circumstances."
A graduate of Brooklyn Technical High School, Chief Kwok attended CCNY where she majored in Mechanical Engineering. In 1984, following in the footsteps of her younger brother Samuel, she joined the Emergency Medical Service.
"I take my work very seriously," said Chief Kwok in an interview with the New York Daily News. "It's a very important job [and] I try to tell people to be proud of themselves, to work hard because it pays off."
Chief Kwok's managerial role began in 1991 when she was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to the Manhattan Borough Command were she provided administrative and field Supervision at EMS Station 15/Metropolitan Hospital. In 1992, she was transferred to the Office of Operations where she functioned as the Special Assistant to the Chief of Field Services.
In 1996, while still a Lieutenant in Operations, Lieutenant Kwok became the liaison to the NYS Department of Health. It was during this time that she worked on the implementation of the dynamic re-certification program. The program allows for the continual re-certifying of over 400 ambulances without an adverse effect on ambulance service times and response times.
Promoted to Captain and assigned to EMS Division 1, Chief Kwok was then assigned to the WTC recovery operation shortly after 9/11 and functioned as the Commanding Officer of EMS Battalion 8, responsible for the overall operation of the Battalion. As a Deputy Chief, she will function as a resource Chief providing operations oversight to EMS Battalions 31 and 58 in Brooklyn.
Back to Top
FDNY Diversity Training Program
New program helps to continue fostering a positive workplace
The Fire Department’s commitment to Diversity has delivered strong results. According to recent City Council testimony by Deputy Commissioner for Administration Doug White, great strides have been made in the recruitment and retention of a more diverse workforce. For example, in 2004, the FDNY welcomed classes of Probationary Firefighters that were 13.5 percent minority. In 2002 and 2003, incoming proby classes were 14.3 and 15.2 percent minority, respectively – averaging nearly 15 percent over the past three years. By comparison, in an 11-year period from 1990 through 2001, minorities comprised only 6.6 percent of our proby classes.
With growing success in our recruitment campaigns and development of programs such as the FDNY Explorers and the FDNY High School for Fire and Life Safety, the Department is looking forward to building upon this foundation of success.
As part of these initiatives, the Department recognized a need to develop programs to continue fostering professionalism in the workplace. Thirty Department members recently participated in a diversity skills training program facilitated at FDNY Headquarters. For one week in January, these members were engaged in a number of activities that eventually will allow them to facilitate the same type of training to members at all levels in the Department. The overall goal of the Diversity program is to develop a Department culture that respects and supports racial and ethnic differences, gender equality and sexual orientation.
“We recognize the importance of having a diverse workforce and a Department culture that respects and embraces those differences. We want a Department that reflects the communities we serve everyday,” said Fire Commissioner Scoppetta. “This program is the first step to ensuring that we get our message out. Discrimination and intolerance in the workplace are not acceptable.”
Back to Top
Brooklyn Borough Update
FDNY Takes to the Skies with NYPD and Members Take to the Slopes to
Help Disabled Military Veterans
By: Assistant Chief Edward Kilduff Brooklyn Borough Commander
The Fire Department and the NYPD Aviation Unit have completed training for four Brooklyn battalions to act as “Air-Recon” Chiefs for all third alarms and selected hi-rise fires and unusual incidents throughout the City. On a rotating schedule, Battalions 33, 39, 43 or 58 are dispatched to Floyd Bennett Field to meet with the NYPD Aviation Unit for a flight to the incident location. Once on scene, the “Air-Recon” Chief contacts the Incident Commander (IC) via the handie-talkie Command Channel to provide an overview of the operation and to make necessary recommendations. The NYPD helicopter has the ability to contact the Borough Communications Office directly and is able to send a video stream of the incident to the Fire Department Operations Center (FDOC) located at FDNY Headquarters. This arrangement will provide the IC with an enhanced size-up of the operation and will also allow commanders in Headquarters to view an incident for the purpose of providing proper resources and expertise to the operation.
Similarly, for an all-hands incident in the NYC Transit Authority system, Battalions 31, 32, 40 and 48 will be specialcalled to the NYCTA Operations Control Room in Brooklyn to assist with communications between the on-scene Incident Commander and the Transit Authority. Communications can be relayed through the 800Mhz radio kept at the Control Center, Nextel phone, or FDNY dispatcher. This will clarify much of the communications problems between agencies and guarantee a more efficient and safe operation.
 Many Brooklyn firefighters along the East River waterfront have also completed training in marine firefighting. With passenger ship service on the Red Hook piers expanding and the potential development of the Williamsburg and Greenpoint waterfronts, this training will provide local units with the operational knowledge to attack ship fires more safely and with confidence.
Recently, the Brooklyn Delegation to the New York City Council agreed to fund a Mobile Command Center (MCC) dedicated to serve the citizens and firefighters of Brooklyn. The MCC will be used for a variety of functions, including a command center for FDNY operations, a focal point for FDNY sponsored events and a resource center for community sponsored events. The MCC will be activated when an FDNY presence is required or requested and will be equipped with all the technology necessary to provide professional support to the event.
Finally, retired and active members of Engine 231, Ladder 120 and Battalion 44 were on hand at the Windham Ski Area in the Catskills to provide support to a dozen disabled military personnel who were learning to ski during the weekend of February 3-6. Most of the soldiers lost legs in Iraq and Afghanistan and were being instructed by the Adaptive Sports Foundation, the trip sponsor. The “Watkins Street” members provided transportation and “après-ski” fun for the military personnel and also sold T-shirts to the weekend crowds to support the Foundation. They hope to make it an annual affair and would like to thank retired members Tom McKeon and Flip Mullen and current member Mike Laffin, E-231, for organizing the event.
Back to Top
Daring Save Amidst Firestorm in Bushwick
It was a dark and cold January night when Ella Mae Berry found herself in the middle of a firestorm in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The 62-year-old grandmother of nine was found unconscious by Firefighter Greg Patsos as he searched her three-story brick home. Patsos, a 14- year veteran of the Department and a member of Squad 252, responded to the two-alarm fire and found the home engulfed in heavy smoke and fire. Patsos, the engine chauffeur, forced the basement door, performed a quick primary search of the area and was able to locate the stairs that led to the first floor. At the top of the stairs Patsos found Ella Mae Berry and was able to remove her with the assistance of a firefighter from Ladder 108. Patsos immediately began administering first aid until the arrival of EMS. Berry was removed to Weil Cornell Medical Center where she remains hospitalized in critical, but stable condition.
Back to Top
On February 4, Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta presided at a graduation ceremony for Probationary Firefighter Peter T. Regan at the quarters of Rescue Company 3 in the Bronx. Firefighter Regan, a Marine Corporal, was called to active duty to serve a second tour in Iraq. Regan successfully completed the requirements necessary to graduate from the Academy, but due to his military assignment was unable to graduate with his class in March. Regan’s father, Donald, was killed on 9/11 when he and seven other members of Rescue 3 responded to the World Trade Center.
Back to Top
View complete February 2005 issue in PDF format (156K)
|
