Major PFD Rescues

 Going way back to the earliest days of the Volunteer Paterson Fire department there have been numerous rescues performed by numerous firefighters and teams of firefighters. Most have gone unrewarded, unphotographed and undocumented.

​In 1968 in the aftermath of the riots that occurred throughout the US including Paterson, Acting Chief Joseph Dayspring in an interview when asked to point out any outstanding effort during the recent race riots stated what has been a department creed: "If I had to name one man I would have to name 60. There is not a second thought given to heroism in this department. We have always and will always act as a group."

​This page will post accounts of outstanding PFD rescues where firefighters acted at significant danger to themselves and where records exist.  

A series of rescue photos typical of what FF do every day appears at the end.

July 14, 1952
​Ultra Chemical Company Explosion - 2 Wood Street
​FF Philip Berman & Fred Ricciardi

For extraordinary efforts in saving a citizen from death, Acting Deputy Chef James Chaplain advised Chief Hobart Strahearn of the actions of firefighters Fred Ricciardi and Philip Berman (both of Engine Company 5). The Chief then recommended the Board of Fire and Police Commission to consider an award. On August 14, 1952 the board issued a resolution of commendation to the men. Read the incredible events below.

Dayspring Collection

Dayspring Collection

Fred Ricciardi

Philip Berman

The Paterson News reported:  “It was impossible to raise the body of Malone from the tank because of agitator blades on the inside of the tank. Fireman Phil Berman, well known Heavyweight Boxer, then descended into the tank and with almost super human strength lifted the body of Malone between the blade until the top tank was reached.” Mr. Malone survived.
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2017 note: Under today's federal regulations the above rescue constitutes a confined space and only personnel trained in Confined Space Operations would be permitted to make such an entry.  A high percentage of confined space entries result in deaths to the rescuers; hence OSHA has strict protocol regarding such entries. Because most confined spaces have either a toxic or oxygen deficient atmosphere, making an entry without SCBA would be virtually suicidal. In the PFD, the Rescue Company is the designated confined space team.

December 19, 1959: 351 Hamilton Avenue Fire

February 9 Resolution of the Board of Fire and Police Commissionrs

The very first Valor Award ever given by the New Jersey State American Legion

FMBA Award

Ralph DiGuglielmo

Joe Parkin

January 2, 1960
​Straight Street Apartment Building Rescues
​BC Michael Fleming , Chief's Aide Ray Carr​

January 12, 1960: Letter from Acting Chief of Department Chief Joseph Bray recommending citation for BC Fleming and FF Ray Carr.

BC Michael Flemming

Raymond Carr

January 20, 1960 - Morning Call - Courtesy Dennis Morrison

Morning Call - Courtesy Dennis Morrison

October 17, 1963 - Infant Rescue
FF Arthur Heydorn Sr, and William Shortway​ 

At 11:08 AM Station 362 Carroll Street and 12th Avenue - a 4th alarm fire at 40-44 Carroll Street. FF Arthur Heydorn Sr. and William Shortway received commendation and Mayor's Medal for Heroism for saving and  resuscitating infant. 
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FOR MORE DETAILS AND PHOTOS CLICK HERE

November 8, 1963
​ Passaic Falls Rescue - John Palonis

Chief's Aide John Palonis

May 13, 1967
Ellison Street Rescue
​FF Alfred "Ollie" Gallagher

Alfred Gallagher shown as a Captain. He later served as a Battalion Chief

May 30, 1968
​ Molly Ann's Brook Rescue

A Natoli Collection

A Natoli Collection

Note Rescue Truck (PA14) at top of photo

A Natoli Collection

DC William Comer

A Natoli Collection

Natoli Collection

Natoli Collection

Natoli Collection

Natoli Collection

Morning Call - Courtesy Dennis Morrison

Members of Squad 1 Left rear FF John Alexander, in left middle is FF Tommy Coppo, front left (? FF with E12 helmet or more likely the just appointed Squad 1 Captain Leon Sopuch Sr), FF Joe Guerrieri, Fire Commissioner Engleherdt with tie and at right FF Tippy Nicolazo. Likely DC Comer with uniform cap in rear)

August 30, 1971
​Passaic River at Piercy Street
​AC Michael Fleming & FF Thomas Alala

AC Michael Fleming

Thomas Alala

Resolution & President of Fire & Police Commission

March 11, 1972
​Main Street General Alarm
​FF Michael Ross - Truck Company 3

​Station 451    3:00 PM       Sylvettes Store at Main Street & Broadway          

May (? Monday), 1972: 111 Jefferson Street -  Dwelling fire with rescue - in photo is Tour Commander, Assistant Chief Gerard Dugan (note error in rank and name in photo legend)

Paterson News courtesy Richard Davenport

September 23, 1972
​282 Union Avenue House Fire
​​FF Elliott McGuire - John Cetrano

John S Cetrano

Elliott McGuie (as a captain)

March 20, 1976​ Passaic Falls Rescue
​Firefighter Edward McCran

During the late winter of 1976, FF Edward McCran of Truck Company 2, kiddingly known to his fellow FF as "McNasty" scaled the cliffs above the freezing, swirling waters of the Passaic Falls to rescue a 16 year old youth. 

McCran Collection

Cartoon by Captain Ed Conklin

January 27, 1977​ - 449 East 22nd Street
​FF Richard Korger

Richard Korger

April 6, 1979 ​ 440 Ellison Street
​FF Philip Mendillo

Philip Mendillo

Deputy Chief Michael Weiss

January 21, 1985
​ Passaic Falls Rescue
​Battalion Chief Thomas Coppo

January 22 Paterson News courtesy Dennis Morrison

Rescue was actually on January 21, 1985

BC Thomas Coppo

Truck 2 Captain Robert Meyers

1985 Ball Book:  Valor Awards from FMBA  (in those years FMBA Awards carried the Names of those who have made the Supreme Sacrifice.

BC Thomas Coppo

2003 Photo of Robert Meyers (as BC)

April 16, 1985
​ Alexander Hamilton Hotel Fire 
​Vincent Zito - Firehouse Magazine Top Rescue in US

April 26, 1985 the FMBA presented the Deputy Chief James P Sweeney Award and the Harry Kelly Award to fireman Vincent Zito of Truck Company 2, Tour 3. On February 27, 1985 He also received the Firehouse Magazine Heroism and Community Service Awards program of $3,000 which was the top monetary award in the seventh annual program, the largest of its kind in the country. Zito was cited for his bravery in the Oct. 18, 1984, fire at the Alexander Hamilton Hotel, one of the worst blazes in the city's history. Fourteen people were killed and Zito was hospitalized for a week with acute smoke inhalation and exhaustion. 

An aerial was raised to the seventh floor. Zito ascended and assisted an elderly man down to safety. He reclimbed and started to remove a hysterical woman who informed him her daughter was still inside. He searched the hotel hallways for people stranded in the dense smoke and heat and he found an unconscious 8-year-old girl on the seventh floor, and gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, dragged her back to an apartment and handed her to a comrade (at the 7th floor window) who carried her down an aerial ladder. 

Zito went back to the smoky hallway and found two more unconscious people. After trying in vain to drag their bodies to safety, the firefighter, who was near collapse from exhaustion and smoke inhalation, directed fellow firefighters to the victims. 'Firefighter Vincent Zito's courage and dedication is in the finest tradition of America's bravest,' the magazine said.

Hancock Collection

Hancock Collection

January 4​, 1986
​Robert Santee = 782 River Street Fire Rescue

FF Larry Franklin

Marty Krupinski on ladder

FF Robert Santee

April 26, 1986  Passaic Falls

1986  Falls rescue scene - 
Photo # 1  L-R:  Captain Anthony Innocent, Truck 1;  FF Robert Santee, AC Forbes.       
Photo #2  L-R: AC Forbes, FF Willie Taliafaro, FF Michael Ventimiglia, Captain Anthony Innocent.                        
​Photo 3: PPD officer w/ yellow stripe; FF Willie Taliafaro, Captain Innocent, other ???  ​

April 28 Paterson News Courtesy Dennis Morrison

 L-R: AC Forbes, FF Willie Taliafaro, FF Michael Ventimiglia, Captain Anthony Innnocent and others

At right side are FF Robert Santee, Captain Innocent and A/C Forbes  ​

 L-R:  Captain Anthony Innocent, Truck 1;  FF Robert Santee, AC Forbes     

August 6, 1986
​165 Temple Street

A sudden, flash fire required immediate rescue of 2 Temple Street home dwellers by a nearby construction crew headed by off-duty Port Authority (of New York and New Jersey) policeman John Trommelen (whose bother Michael later became a PFD Battalion Chief) and a young Paterson Policeman named Kevin Hancock (who in 1989 transferred to PFD and ultimately rose to rank of Deputy Chief. 

The magnitude of the rescue (several trips into a fiercely burning building) by John Trommelen was such that the PAPD bestowed upon him its highest accolade - the Medal of Honor - (only ever issued 24 times between 1944 and 1986). Tragically John died prematurely in December 1997. Amazingly John's son, John Trommelen III (age 1 at time of award), followed his dad's footsteps and was appointed to the PAPD in August, 2013, now proudly wearing his father's badge. To complete the story, the son of DC Kevin Hancock, Keven S Hancock recently joined the PAPD. ​

Patrolman Kevin Hancock PPD

April 22, 1986
​​Passaic Falls

1986  Falls rescue scene - 
Photo # 1  L-R:  Captain Anthony Innocent, Truck 1;  FF Robert Santee, AC Forbes.       
Photo #2  L-R: AC Forbes, FF Willie Taliafaro, FF Michael Ventimiglia, Captain Anthony Innocent.                        
​Photo 3: PPD officer w/ yellow stripe; FF Willie Taliafaro, Captain Innocent, other ???            

AC Forbes above (uniform cap). Also F/F W. Talaferro, Captain Anthony Innocent, F/F Robert Santee, Michael Ventimiglia, Joe Fiorilla

June 16, 1987:  Valor Awards re FF actions on September 18, 1986 and January 1, 1987 and February 17, 1987

Paterson News courtesy Dennis Morrison

January 4​, 1990
​​Market Street Apartment House

 August 3, 1991:   ~2 AM  243 Straight Street   Working fire  Off duty FF saves children

August 4 Herald courtesy Dennis Morrison

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April 20, 1992 - F/F Thomas Straube receives  NJ State Firemen's FMBA Silver Valor Award (2nd highest award)

Herald courtesy Dennis Morrison

Courtesy Straube Family

July 12, 1994 - 12th Avenue Ladder Rescue
​Lynn Tolbert - VFW of NJ Firefighter of the Year

July 26 herald courtesy Dennis Morrison

Wendell Lynn Tolbert

August 30​, 2011
​Passaic River Rescue

August 27 to Sept 11, 2011: Hurricane Irene and tropical Storm Lee kept the department very busy  for a two week period.  There were over 2000 emergency incidents with over 1200 evacuations including 600 via Marine Units. There were two structural fires extinguished, including a second alarm on August 29 on Hillman Street amidst the flood waters. There were 7 swift water rescues including the following -

August 30, 2011: A dramatic & legitimate water rescue during Hurricane Irene in the Passaic River behind the Colt Arms high-rise complex at 52 Godwin St. With the New Jersey State Police Task Force 1 Team unavailable to respond, PFD members (who were not yet trained in Swift water operations) had no other options but to enter the raging waters to affect a rescue. 

March 26​, 2014
​Garret Mountain

The PFD received a call from the Passaic County Sheriff’s Dept. of a dog trapped on a ledge, over a cliff, at Garrett Mountain.  Evidently, the dog must have fell or was thrown over. Upon arrival our arrival onto the scene, the dog was in a very precarious position over the cliff, wedged in a crevice on a ledge. 
 
BC McDermott, because of his technical rescue expertise, assumed the position of Operations Section Chief and was placed in charge of the rescue operation.  Because of the high risk to the rescuers, as a general rule, putting rescuers over a cliff  is usually a last resort tactic, which is rarely used, unless it is absolutely necessary.  Ground ladders were raised & extended from the bottom of the cliff in an  attempt to reach the dog, but the top of the ladders was just beyond the reach of the dog.  Attempts to lower a ladder from the top of the cliff to the ledge were also unsuccessful.  With about less than hour of daylight remaining, and with no other options available, a command decision was made to send the FFs with ropes & safety harnesses over the cliff to safely reach the dog.  A volunteer from the New Jersey Search & Rescue coincidentally happened to be at Garret Mountain that day and also descended over the cliff to assist in the rescue.  The rescue mission was successfully completed, and the dog was eventually adopted by one of the FFs.  The dog was named “Cliff”.

Firefighters descended 50 feet down a Garret Mountain cliff face Monday afternoon to rescue an abandoned, malnourished poodle that had holed up in a 20-inch wide crevice, according to multiple reports. The poodle mix was likely abandoned by its owner at Garret Mountain State Park and wandered into the deep and narrow crevice. The dog was thin, weak, covered in matted hair and didn't appear to have eaten or had water for days.

Paterson firefighters and New Jersey Search and Rescue volunteers unsuccessfully attempted to coax the dog out from the crevice, which was situated between two 50-foot-wide rocks. Two hours later, as nightfall approached, rescuers elected to send a team of men to rappel down the cliff face and grab the poodle, according to The Record.
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The dog did not suffer any broken bones and will be put up for adoption after it's cleared by a veterinarian, The Record reported.

Channel 5 Fox News

Saul Cintron, BC McDermott, John DeCando, Capt Michael Cleenput, FF Justin Angelica (rear) & FF Robert Santore

Miscellaneous Rescue Photos

March 20, 1967: Engine 5 Captain Mario Colitarci performing a rescue at 100 River Street during a 4 alarm tenement fire,

March 1967 - Joseph Rocca

1957

Alfonse Francavilla

Chief's Aide Tommy Waterson, DC Wilbert Mariani and FF Bill Shortway of T3 by bucket of Snorkel

Photo of Chief's Aide Waterson made the cover of 1970 Ball Book

FF Arthur Salmanowitz July 1969

Captain James Pasquariello Alexander Hamilton Hotel

Alexander Hamilton Hotel Fire