 Police Honor Legion Medal
Firefighter Kevin J. Dooley
Ladder Company 166
August 31, 2002, 0630 hours
Box 10-77-3525
3415 Neptune
Avenue, Brooklyn
Appointed
to the FDNY on February 5, 1995. Uncle, Arthur Kelly, is a retired Deputy
Chief from the Office of the Chief of Department. Brother-in-law,
Joseph Mitchell, is a retired FF from Engine 331. Member of the Emerald
Society. Holds
an AS degree in Science from Nassau Community College. Resides in Long
Beach, Long Island.
New York City Firefighters face a variety of firefighting challenges, which
sometimes are related to the neighborhood in which a member serves. In
Coney Island, for example, one such firefighting challenge is duplex apartments
in
tall multiple dwellings. On August 31, 2002, a fire in a duplex apartment
with people trapped was the situation facing FF Kevin J. Dooley and the
other members
of Ladder Co. 166, one half of the Kings of Neptune.
At 0630 hours, Brooklyn
Box 3525 was transmitted for a fire on the ninth floor of a 24-story,
class 1, fireproof multiple dwelling at 3415 Neptune Avenue.
Arriving at the Box, FF Dooley and the other members of his Company observed
heavy fire blowing out of apartment 904, a duplex apartment on the ninth
and 10th floors. The fire also was blowing across the open-air balcony that
serves
as a hallway for the building.
The fire building was set back from the curb
and was out of the reach of aerial ladder operations above the sixth floor.
FF Dooley, who had the outside
vent
position, entered the elevator lobby and placed the elevator into fireman’s
service. He prepared to transport the members of Ladder Co. 166 and
Engine Co. 318 so they could begin their attack on the fire.
When FF Dooley
was informed that two people were trapped in the fire
apartment and there was potential for a rescue via an aerial ladder,
he teamed up
with the chauffeur of Ladder 166 at the rear of the building and helped
get the rig
into position. When the ladder was placed to the window, FF Dooley climbed
to the tip of the ladder--passing the fire in the process--and pulled
the first victim, Adrianna Fatylak, out of the 10th-floor window and
onto the ladder.
While shielding Mrs. Fatylak from the fire, FF Dooley
expertly guided her down the ladder to the chauffeur, who was directly
below him on
the ladder. Once that was accomplished, FF Dooley returned to the
window and pulled
the second victim, Izydor Fatylak, onto the aerial ladder and proceeded
to
bring
him down the ladder to the pedestal.
While FF Dooley was rescuing
the trapped victims, the aerial ladder was nearly vertical and fully extended
to 102 feet. Additionally,
a charged hose-line
was
not yet in position to protect FF Dooley during his rescue efforts.
Both
Mr. and Mrs. Fatylak were transported to Coney Island Hospital where they
were admitted and treated for burns and smoke inhalation.
FF Dooley received oxygen at the scene.
In his endorsement
of the report of meritorious act, Battalion Commander Steven Bernius of
the 43 Battalion wrote, “The standout phase of the rescue was
taking down both victims at the same time; that is passing
one victim to get the other as the second victim was in an untenable situation
and had to be removed
immediately.” For these reasons, FF Kevin J. Dooley is awarded the
Police Honor Legion Medal today. —NG
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