Firefighters Save Family from Brooklyn Fire

 

It was the FDNY at its best.

Firefighters rescued six people from a second-alarm apartment fire in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, on July 1.

This is an outstanding job we couldnt have done better, Lt. Victor Spadaro of Ladder 157 said.

Dispatchers began receiving calls at 2:19 a.m. for a fire at 1001 Ocean Ave., with multiple callers indicating people were trapped.

Firefighters said when they arrived, they found a heavy volume of fire coming from a second floor apartment of the four-story, brick building.

They saw a man hanging off a child gate and were told a woman had already jumped out a window. The firefighters also learned more people were trapped in the apartment, so they quickly grabbed their tools and entered the building.

When they reached the second floor landing, they said they saw fire shooting out the apartment doors peep hole and around the frame.

They forced open the door and were met by a heavy volume of fire and smoke that poured into the hallway.

Literally the whole apartment was on fire, said Lt. Spadaro.

Lt. Paul Driscoll of Engine 255 said that he and his team Firefighters Christopher Corrar, Damian Salatino, Thomas McNicholas, Brendan Ielpi (of Ladder 157) and Stephen Laureno (of Engine 248) made an aggressive push into the apartment to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible.

At the same time, members from Ladder 157 including Firefighters Chris Ganci, Chris Neilson, Keith Berowski, Matt McDonald and Mike Ryszetnyk began to search for victims.

Three young boys were saved by Lt. Spadaro, Firefighter Ganci and Firefighter Neilson inside the apartment, and Firefighter Berowski used a portable ladder to rescue a pregnant woman from a window.

Firefighters from Ladder 113 also were able to rescue two other children from the fire escape connected to the apartment.

This was the best rescue effort Ive ever witnessed in person, said Lt. Driscoll.

Firefighter Corrar, who was among the three firefighters injured in the fire, said we had a job to do and we did the best we could.

Firefighter Ganci (whose father, Chief of Department Peter Ganci, was killed on 9/11) agreed, saying, We got great direction and I was just following their lead. I was just hoping to make a difference.