Chief Wesley Williams Medal

Lieutenant Timothy H. Helf
Battalion 23 (assigned), Engine Company 253 (detailed)

July 8, 2003, 0324 hours, Box 3879, 58 Bay 28th Street, Brooklyn

Appointed to the FDNY on February 4, 1996. Now assigned to Ladder 79. Previously assigned to Engine 310 and Ladder 174. Father-in-law, FF Michael L. Ajello, is retired from Engine 166 and brother-in-law, Michael Ajello, is the Captain of Ladder 8. Member of the Steuben Association and Emerald Society. Served with the U.S. Army and is in the Navy Reserves.

Lieutenant Timothy Helf with daughter, Olivia. photo courtesy of Lieutenant Timothy Helf

Early-morning fires frequently feature someone who is trapped by the fire as he or she sleeps. The “truckies” are usually the ones to get the victim out, while the engine stops the fire from engulfing the whole building. The oddity about fires, though, is that they don’t always follow Firefighters’ plans.

Lieutenant Timothy H. Helf was the Officer in charge of Engine 253 on July 8, 2003, but he had done his share of truck work in his career. The Fire Department prepares all Firefighters and Officers for any situation. It was 0324 hours when Brooklyn Box 3879 was transmitted and Engine 253 was assigned first due. Lieutenant Helf reported a 10-75 as the Company pulled up in front of the three-story multiple dwelling.

The Lieutenant directed his members to stretch a line to the front of the building, where they were met by flames licking out of the front door. As members waited for water to begin their attack, they were informed by Chief Martin Ford of the 42 Battalion that there were reports of a woman in the apartment.

As soon as they received water, Lieutenant Helf led Engine 253, pushing back the flames. Once inside the apartment, they ran into another obstacle--accumulated possessions were stacked inside and impeded the advancement of the line, as well as the forcible entry team of Ladder 168, who were trapped behind them.

As the outside team of Ladder 168 worked feverishly on the security gates and bars that adorned every window, Lieutenant Helf knew he had to try to locate the woman. Leaving the relative safety of the line, the Lieutenant crawled over the seemingly endless piles of belongings and under the heat from the still uncontrolled fire and made his way into the kitchen.

Finding no victim there, he made his way up a stairway, also piled with belongings, to a bathroom and bedroom area. The Lieutenant’s search of the bathroom and first bedroom through boxes and other belongings was negative. During his search of the second bedroom, however, he came upon 43-year-old Denise Hakim Kahn, unconscious and wedged between the bed and a dresser.

Lieutenant Helf knew there was no way he could bring her back through the apartment. He could hear the members of Ladder 168 working on the window gates in that room and yelled for a stokes basket to facilitate removing the victim from the bedroom.

The Lieutenant went to the window nearest the victim and helped remove the difficult security gates. When Firefighters had cleared enough room for the basket, one member of Ladder 168 entered the room and helped Lieutenant Helf load the victim into the stokes basket. They removed her as quickly as possible and EMS personnel did everything in their power, but the severity of the burns and respiratory distress Ms. Kahn suffered proved too great. She was pronounced dead on arrival at Maimonides Medical Center.

Though Ms. Kahn was not able to thank him for his valiant efforts, the FDNY today thanks Lieutenant Timothy H. Helf for his bravery and determination in this dangerous rescue operation by presenting him with the Chief Wesley Williams Medal.--JT

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