Several members of the Rockville Centre Fire Department were among those honored by the Town of Hempstead at the Firematic Awards Thursday night.
“Tonight, I am proud to stand among a group of Hempstead Town’s bravest as we salute the courageous and caring individuals who volunteer their time and efforts to protect our communities,” Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray said. “No matter the time of day, or the conditions presented to them, these brave men and women are at the ready, even at the most harrowing moments, to care for their fellow citizens.”
The following members of the Rockville Centre Fire Department were honored: Ex-Captain John J. Glynn, Ex-Captain Ronald Kraemer, Jr., Ex-Captain Anthony L. Rugolo.
When the Rockville Centre Fire Department responded to a house fire on Woods Avenue last July, thick smoke and intense heat left firefighters with zero visibility and made it virtually impossible to enter the home. With the odds against them, Rockville Centre Fire Department Ex-Captains John Glynn, Ronald Kraemer, Jr. and Anthony Rugolo turned to one of the few senses they had could still draw upon, their hearing.
First on the scene was Ex-Captain Glynn. Without a fire suit or breathing equipment, Ex-Captain Glynn conducted a search for people in the house. Forced out by heavy smoke and heat, he went around the back of the house, where he heard a child banging on the window. Without hesitation, Ex-Captain Glynn climbed a ladder to the second-floor bedroom window, ripped out an air conditioner and pulled the child out to safety.
Meanwhile, Ex-Captains Rugolo and Kraemer were on the second floor of the home, searching the hallways and bedrooms for a woman they knew was trapped inside.
Unable to see, and with the heat intensifying with each passing second, Kraemer heard a faint beeping noise. It was the busy signal of a phone, likely used by the woman to call for help. Indeed, Kraemer followed the noise right to a bedroom, where they found the woman under a bed. Working together, Kraemer Jr. and Rugolo carried the woman outside to safety.
