Columbia Association Medal

Firefighter Todd A. Fredrickson, Ladder Company 43

February 3, 2004, 1439 hours, Box 75-1289, 400 East 105th Street, Manhattan

Appointed to the FDNY on July 15, 1996. Member of the Holy Name and Emerald Societies and the Vikings Association. Holds Bachelor of Science degrees from Plattsburg University and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Master of Science from Brooklyn College. Recipient of a Class III rating for this incident. Resides in Manhattan.

Much has been written about the contrast of fire and ice, but the combination usually will make Firefighters remember a particular occasion when they faced both extremes in a short period of time. Every cold spell brings large numbers of New York’s Bravest to face this deadly combination and they cope with it with amazing efficiency. February 3, 2004, was such a cold day that no Firefighter was eager to face an inferno, but when Manhattan Box 1289 was transmitted at 1439 hours, the members of Ladder 43 and Engine 53, along with other units, responded with their usual alacrity.

FF Todd Fredrickson was assigned the forcible entry position in Ladder 43 that day. When the company arrived first-due at 400 East 105th Street, members could see heavy, black smoke emanating from several windows on the ninth floor of the 10-story multiple dwelling. In spite of the heavy equipment they were wearing and the tools they were carrying, FF Fredrickson and the other members of the inside team rapidly ascended the nine stories. As he climbed with Lieutenant Tony Montaruli and FF Mark Carpiniello with the can, FF Fredrickson heard that Engine 53 was facing a frozen hydrant, which could impact water supply and the engine’s ability to quickly get sufficient pressure from the building standpipe system. FF Fredrickson realized that anyone trapped in the raging inferno had to be removed as quickly as possible.

When they reached the ninth floor, the members wasted no time forcing entry to apartment 9H. They were forced to the floor by the heavy smoke and fire found beyond the door. With no hose-line yet in place, the members had to rely on FF Carpiniello’s judicious use of the extinguisher to hold back the blaze as they searched for victims. Scampering as quickly as possible past the flames that were consuming the entire contents of the bedroom, FF Fredrickson was able to reach the bathroom at the rear of the apartment.

The door was locked, indicating that the occupant had sought refuge from the blaze. Forcing the door, FF Fredrickson found the unconscious body of 61-year-old Ellen Stokes and transmitted a signal 10-45 to alert Lieutenant Montaruli about his discovery. She had been burned before entering the bathroom and then been overcome by the smoke.

As the fire raged behind him, FF Fredrickson was unable to see any sign that she was breathing. He knew that her immediate removal was vital. With no line yet in place, the Firefighter used his own body to shield the woman from the flames as FF Carpiniello continued to wield the extinguisher to fight back the growing inferno. With the help of the other members of Ladder 43, FF Fredrickson dragged the victim from the apartment and to the relative safety of the eighth-floor landing.

Once there, they used the last water from the can to extinguish the woman’s burning flesh and worked to establish an airway. FFs Fredrickson and Carpiniello were joined by the members of Engine 22, who brought a resuscitator with them. They then were able to provide Ms. Stokes with lifesaving oxygen. Realizing that her condition was precarious at best, they all joined forces to rapidly, yet tenderly, remove her to the street and the waiting arms of EMS.

As the members from Engine 53 arrived with a hose-line and moved in to extinguish the blaze that had nearly cost Ellen Stokes her life, she was quickly transported to the Cornell Burn Unit. She suffered from second- and third-degree burns to more than 65 percent of her body. Even with the best medical attention, she faced a long road to recovery, but her journey could not have begun were it not for the great bravery and determination displayed by FF Fredrickson.

For the courage and fortitude required to enter this inferno and remove a woman, with no charged line in place, the Fire Department is proud to award the Columbia Association Medal to FF Todd Fredrickson.—JT