Hugh Bonner Medal

Firefighter Paul Mastronardi, Rescue Company 4

December 15, 2004, 0246 hours, Box 22-7889, 37-52 89th Street, Queens

Appointed to the FDNY on July 14, 1996. Previously assigned to Engine 280 and Squad 252. Cousin, Battalion Chief Brian McCulough, is retired from Battalion 6. Recipient of two unit citations; and a Class II rating for this incident. Resides in Bayport, Long Island, and has two children, Paul Vincent and Rosanna.

In residential areas of the City, it is not uncommon to have multiple calls received for the same incident. Frequently, people on opposite streets will see the smoke or flames and call in the alarm. When this happens, units may be dispatched to two separate locations for the same fire, causing the normal response sequence to be out of order. This occurred on December 15, 2004.

Rescue 4 was responding to a location at 35-43 88th Street, but was redirected to 37-52 89th Street, due to additional calls and reports of “people trapped” at that location. The occupants exiting the building told the first-arriving Firefighters that people were trapped on the upper floors. This information was relayed to Rescue 4 when they entered the lobby and that the “B” stair was blocked by heavy fire and the only access to the upper floors was the “A” stair.

Realizing the critical nature of gaining access to the floor above, the inside team of Rescue 4--Captain Daniel DiMartino and FFs Paul Mastronardi and Andrew Gaughan--proceeded up the “A” stair to the floor above the fire. FF Mastronardi, the first member to reach the second floor, experienced high heat and zero visibility. Flames, similar to a blowtorch, were venting through the top of the fire door that separated the two wings. FF Mastronardi continued to advance up the stairs to the third floor. Captain DiMartino and FF Gaughan followed.

As the team reached the third floor, conditions were not much better. The heat and smoke were so intense they had to rely on hand and voice communication. Visibility was non-existent.

FF Mastronardi knew he had to reach apartment 3F (the apartment directly over the fire). On his hands and knees, he began his way down the hall, keeping his left hand on the wall, feeling for door openings. After crawling approximately 30 feet, FF Mastronardi reached the door that separated the two wings. Here he found the heat even more intense and could see the orange glow of fire coming up the open “B” stair.

Crawling on his stomach toward apartment 3F, FF Mastronardi paused momentarily because he could hear a victim crying out. He located the first victim, an adult male (Alex Sandovar), who was barely conscious, and gave the first 10-45 over his radio.

While dragging this victim approximately five feet back toward the fire door, FF Gaughan joined FF Mastronardi and together, they began dragging this victim back toward the safety of the “A” stair. Realizing this victim was not the one crying out, FF Mastronardi told his partner he would go back for the second victim.

Without regard for his personal safety, FF Mastronardi passed the open stair for the second time. Fire now was extending up the open “B” stair and venting over his head. He crawled toward the sound of the victim, deeper into the hall. FF Mastronardi reached out and grabbed the second victim, an unconscious child. Still hearing the moans of the third victim, but not being able to see anything, FF Mastronardi gave the radio signal, “multiple 10-45s, floor above.”

FF Mastronardi pulled the child toward the wall and used his body to protect the victim from the intense heat and fire coming up the open “B” stair. He then dragged the victim to a point past the fire door where another Firefighter removed the child to the safety of the lower floors.

On his third attempt, FF Mastronardi crawled approximately 20 feet down the hall to the front of apartment 3F, where he located the third victim, Carolina Sandovar, a three-year-old child who was crying out in pain. Shielding the girl with his body, he crawled back toward the “A” stair, where he passed off this victim to FF Gaughan, who came back to assist.

FF Mastronardi returned to the point where he found the last victim and continued the search for more victims. By now, the heat in the hall began to subside, but the heavy smoke condition remained. With FF Andrew Fowler, they forced the door to apartment 3E and conducted a primary search of that heavily charged apartment. During this search, they discovered fire extending up from the fire apartment and called for a line.

FF Mastronardi’s actions, performed under adverse conditions and without the protection of a hose-line, were in the highest traditions of the Department. His bravery and perseverance saved the lives of three people (Alex Sandovar died a week later) and his quick radio transmissions--which alerted other Firefighters of the multiple victims--impacted on the other rescues that took place. FF Paul Mastronardi is awarded the Hugh Bonner Medal.—JTV