On November 8, 2020, at 1202 hours, Ladder Company 120 arrived first due to Box 1640 for a reported fire in a private dwelling in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. While responding, units were advised by the Brooklyn Dispatcher that they were receiving multiple calls reporting the fire. As Ladder 120 pulled into the block, the 10-75 was transmitted and they were confronted with an escalating situation: a building entrance engulfed in fire and heavy, black smoke issuing under pressure from the second-floor windows. As Ladder 120’s inside team made its way to the front stoop, multiple civilians were reporting trapped occupants on the second floor. Ladder 120, the only truck company on the scene, was faced with a confirmed life hazard where immediate action was necessary to save a life. Lieutenant Sal Mirra ordered Firefighter Kevin Healy (forcible entry) to make a calculated but risky move to go to the floor above an uncontrolled fire. Firefighter Ryan Mosiello (can) deployed the water can to knock down the flames, providing brief access through the punishing vestibule, before joining his officer to conduct searches on the first floor. In grueling heat, and without a hoseline in place, FF Healy ascended the open interior stair to the second-floor landing, beginning the search on his belly in zero visibility. Summoning all of his senses and fully relying on company training and instinct, he penetrated to the front of the building on a right-hand search, where faint sounds of distress led him to a semi-conscious, elderly female sprawled out on the floor and unable to move. Upon locating the victim, he immediately transmitted a 10-45 and was advised to execute removal via a second-floor window as Engine Company 283 prepared to commence the fire attack. Following an aggressive engine push and recognizing time was of the essence, Lieutenant Mirra ordered FF Healy to remove the victim via the interior stairs, where the patient was transferred to the FDNY Medical Branch for evaluation and treatment. FF Healy’s quick and decisive actions saved the life of a civilian at this fire. He displayed personal bravery as well as initiative and capability, operating above the fire without the protection of a hoseline. The valor and perseverance displayed at this operation exemplify the FDNY’s highest traditions of dedication and service. The Department is proud to award Firefighter Kevin Healy the BC Frank T. Tuttlemondo Medal. “The Tradition Continues….”
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