About the
Awards
The Larry Williams
Memorial Valor Award
This award is presented in
memory of the Emerald Society's Vice President Larry Williams of the
Hauppauge Fire Department. Larry passed away in May of 1996.
Larry was a 23 year member of the Hauppauge Fire
Department where he was a past officer of the Truck Company and an
Ex-Captain of Engine Company # 3. Larry served on many of Hauppauge's
committees, including the Color Guard, the Training Committee and the
By-Laws Committee.
His faithful service and leadership as Vice President
of the Suffolk County Volunteer Firefighters Emerald Society will always
be remembered.
The Harold Lally
Memorial Valor Award
This award is presented in memory of the
Emerald Society's Treasurer Harold Lally, a 25 year member of the
Medford Fire Department.
Harold was a devoted volunteer firefighter who served
as a member of many committees in his department. In 1990 he was honored
with an award for outstanding dedication to the Medford Fire Department.
Harold was also a Past President of the Brookhaven Town Volunteer
Firemen's Association, a member of the Credentials Committee of the
Suffolk County Volunteer Firemen's Association as well as Treasurer of
the Emerald Society.
Harold was a proud Korean War Veteran and a member of
the Medford VFW and American Legion Posts.
The Brennan-Schrang
Memorial Valor Award
Peter
Brennan
Chief of Department ( Posthumously )
Hauppauge Fire Department
Pete joined the Hauppauge Fire
Department on November 1, 1999. Prior to joining Hauppauge, Pete had
been a member of the Lakeland Fire Department for over 11 years. Pete
had also been a firefighter with the F.D.N.Y. since October, 1995. He
was assigned to Rescue 4.
On March 19, 2001, Pete was assisting the
Lakeland Fire Department at the scene of a working house fire. Early in
the operation, two probationary firefighters advised Pete that the
basement stairs had collapsed and that there were firefighters trapped
in the basement. He directed the probies to get an attic ladder and a
rope. Then, without regard for his own safety, he entered the building.
Just as he did so, there was a flashover and flames were now impinging
on the vestibule area where Pete had entered. Pete saw that a Lakeland
firefighter was at the entrance to the basement and that he was holding
onto one of the four trapped firefighters. Pete sat on the Lakeland
firefighter's legs to help stabilize him and, at the same time, he
grabbed a hose line and used it to hold back the flames. The
probationary firefighters returned with the attic ladder, which they
placed in the opening, allowing the trapped firefighters to escape.
For his actions at the scene of this fire, Pete
was awarded the Medal of Valor by the Hauppauge Fire Department, the
Long Island Gold Award of Valor by the 1st Responder Newspaper and the
Suffolk Volunteer Firefighters Emerald Society Medal of Valor.
Unfortunately, all of these awards were
presented posthumously. Pete Brennan, while working at his job with the
F.D.N.Y., was killed on September 11, 2001 in the collapse of the World
Trade Center.
Gerard ( Gerry ) Schrang
Ex-Chief
Holbrook Fire Department
Gerry Schrang joined the Holbrook Fire Department's junior drill team in
1969, at the age of 13. Following 4 very active years with the junior
squad, Gerry applied to join the department. His application was
sponsored by his father, a past Lt. in Jupiter 27 Company. Gerry was
sworn in on May 8, 1973. He was a very active firefighter who eagerly
participated in the department's training programs.
Gerry became a 2nd Lieutenant in 1979, 1st
Lieutenant in 1981 and Captain of Jupiter 27 Co. in 1983. After
completing his term as Captain he was elected to the position of 2nd
Assistant Chief in 1985, 1st Assistant Chief in 1987 and 32nd Chief of
Department in 1990.
Gerry was also a firefighter with the F.D.N.Y.
On September 11, 2001 while serving with Rescue Company 3, he was killed
in the collapse of the World Trade Center. Gerry is survived by his wife
Denise and his son Brian. Brian joined Jupiter 27 Company in 2002,
becoming the third generation of his family to proudly serve with the
Holbrook Fire Department.
The Recipients
2006 Recipient of
The Larry Williams Memorial Valor Award
Lt. David Robrecht - Kings Park Fire Department
On the afternoon of August 25,
2005, the Kings Park Fire Department was alerted to a fire in a
commercial building with second floor apartments at 60 E. Main Street,
Kings Park. The fire was on the second floor of the rear corner of the
building, extending into the attic and front of the building.
The first arriving chief requested the ladder truck to
the scene forthwith, as there was a report of a girl trapped on the
second floor. Lt. David Robercht had responded to the firehouse, but at
this time was the only one there so he proceeded to run to the scene,
which was just down the block from the firehouse. Upon arrival, Lt.
Robercht took a contractors ladder and set it up under under the window
that the young girl could not get open. He then used a haligan tool to
remove the window. Lt. Robercht, without the benefit of self contained
breathing apparatus, entered the room and successfully rescued the 14
year old girl by carrying her down the ladder to safety, just moments
before the room burst into flames. The girl was transported to St.
Catherine's Hospital in Smithtown for treatment of smoke inhalation,
cuts and bruises. The 1800s era building was heavily damaged by the
raging fire which took two and a half hours to bring under control.
Lt. Robert Robrecht's actions were in the finest
tradition of the Volunteer Fire Service. He reacted without hesitation
and at great personal risk. We are proud to award him The Larry Williams
Memorial Valor Award.
2006 Recipient of
The Harold Lally Memorial Valor Award
Captain Walter C. Reutlinger -
Sayville Fire Department
On the
night of December 9th, 2005 at 12:57 AM, the Sayville Fire Department
was activated for a reported house fire at 109 Julbert Drive in
Sayville. First arriving units, Sayville 3-11-1 and 3-11-9, were on
scene in 3 minutes of the time of the alarm. Upon arrival. firefighters
noticed heavy smoke coming from the second floor of the residence. While
firefighters from Engine 1 stretched a hose line to the house, Capt.
Reutlinger and his team (FF Mark Frappied and FF Dan Hannaford) forced
open the front door and made their way to the second floor of the home.
Once on the second floor, they located the fire in the master bedroom of
the residence. FF Frappied used a portable extinguisher to try to
contain the fire until Engine 1's hose team was able to make its way up
to the bedroom. At the same time these members were engaged in
extinguishing the fire, Capt. Reutlinger searched an adjoining bedroom.
While conducting his search, Capt. Reutlinger discovered 78 year old
Gloria Palmieri, the lone resident of the house. Mrs. Palmieri was
unconscious and badly burned. Capt. Reutlinger notified command
and was immediately assisted by several members in removing the victim
to the first floor.
Due to the severity of her condition, Mrs. Palmieri was
transferred to the Stony Brook Hospital burn unit, having second degree
burns on 40 percent of her body. She remained in the burn unit for 34
days, recovering to the point of regaining consciousness and being able
to speak to her family over the holidays. Unfortunately, in early
January, she took a turn for the worse and passed away in January 12,
2006.
Captain Reutlinger acted without hesitation and at
great personal risk in his effort to rescue Mrs. Palmieri. We are proud
to award him the Harold Lally Memorial Valor Award.
2006 Recipient of
The Brennan - Schrang Memorial Valor Award
Assistant Chief Rick Gimbl - Holbrook Fire Department
Assistant Chief Rick Gimbl of the Holbrook Fire Department was on his
way home from the firehouse a few minutes before 1:00 AM on February 5,
2005 when he received an alarm for a fire at a trailer park on Lincoln
Ave. He headed straight to the fire scene.
Heavy snow banks had nearly blocked the narrow lanes.
Chief Gimbl was looking for a place to park when residents rushed out
shouting that someone was trapped inside. Flames were blowing out from a
window and over two 100 pound propane tanks. He ditched his chief's car
in a snow bank, suited up and broke in the door. A wall of flames
blocked the way and temperatures inside were already somewhere between
300 and 500 degrees. Chief Gimbl got down on low, below the worst smoke
and heat and began spraying pressurized water from an extinguisher to
make a gateway. He conducted a systematic search, keeping his hand on
the wall in order to keep his bearings. The living room was empty.
Chief Gimbl turned back toward the flames, once again
spraying pressurized water and crawled around a burned opening in the
floor to the other half of the trailer. He couldn't see much in front of
him due to the heavy smoke conditions.
Chief Gimbl soon came upon the looming bulk of 34 year
old James McGuire unconscious in the hallway. He felt for and found a
pulse and then radioed fellow volunteers that he had a victim. Still
crawling, he muscled the 280 pound man toward the rear door because
flames were blocking the door he had entered. Keeping one hand on the
wall, he came across the rear door. He yelled that he was at the back
door and, with his foot, pushed the door open. Chief Gimbl handed the
victim over the threshold to the arriving engine crew.
Mr. McGuire was rushed to intensive care with burns
over 70 percent of his body, including his lungs and trachea. It was
touch and go for awhile, with three weeks at the hospital burn center.
Assistant Chief Gimbl acted at great personal risk,
knowing by his experience that the trailer could have gone up in flames
at any moment and that he could have been in even greater danger.
Despite this, he disregarded his own safety, saving the life of Mr.
McGuire. We are proud to award him the Brennan-Schrang Memorial Valor
Award.
Past Recipients
PAST LARRY WILLIAMS MEMORIAL MEDAL OF VALOR RECIPIENTS
2004
Firefighter William Nichols - St. James Fire Department
2002
William Waldron Jr., Peter Brennan, James Cummings, Robert Souhrada,
Daniel Boucher
2000
Jamie Dobbs, Richard Huttie, Thomas Mattos, Richard Templeton
1998
Patrick Molloy, Peter Collie, Paul Campson
1996
Douglas Mulholland, Kenneth T. Jones, William Pyne III
1994
Robert A. Miller, Donald
Miller, Peter Baretsky, Robert Pettigrew, Jack Parrett
1992
Kelly Lopreto
1991
Charles Cunningham
1989
Michael McMahon
Past Harold Lally Memorial MEDAL OF Valor Recipients
2004
Lieutenant Dan Coffey -
Farmingville Fire Department
Past Brennan - Schrang Memorial MEDAL OF Valor Recipients
2004
2nd Assistant Chief
Bryan Butler - Bay Shore Fire Department
Ex-Captain Edward Smith - Bay Shore Fire Department