The Exchange Club of Yonkers recently held its annual Fire Prevention Dinner honoring Yonkers’ bravest. This year, the Exchange Club honored the team of Engine Company 308, and its members, Capt. Robert Levine and firefighters Joseph Mannari, Jose Berrios and Timothy O’Connell.
The dinner was held at The Olde Stone Mill and was attended by the honorees, family and friends, members of Firefighters Local 628 and Fire Officers IAFO, Commissioner Robert Sweeney, Mayor Michael Spano, County Executive George Latimer and other elected officials.
Dinner Chairperson Angela La Breglio introduced Recording Secretary Greg De Sousa, who thanked the honorees and expanded on their heroic efforts.
“Just before midnight Jan. 19, 2017, Engine Company 308 located on Warburton Avenue close to the Hastings border was dispatched to 1200 Warburton Ave., Unit 52, for a report of a structure fire,” said De Sousa. “The apartment complex is large and difficult to navigate, yet Engine 308 was able to arrive quickly and begin rescue and suppression operations well before any of the other companies got there.”
While Berrios and O’Connell stretched 250 feet of attack line to the apartment on fire, Mannari positioned the engine out of the way to allow the ladder trucks in and prepared to supply water to the attack line, explained De Sousa. Levine was brought to the apartment on fire by a resident who advised him that an elderly couple lived there and that they were probably still inside.
“Once inside, there was near zero visibility,” said De Sousa. “Capt. Levine could hear a woman calling for help but could not see her. As he crawled toward her voice without being able to see her, he instructed her to crawl toward his flashlight. He met her in a bedroom on the floor and began dragging her toward the entrance of the apartment. While doing so, Capt. Levine was met by firefighter O’Connell, who helped carry the woman out.”
Shortly thereafter, O’Connell located the elderly man in a bedroom and he and Berrios carried him out, according to De Sousa. Both husband and wife were treated at the scene by EMS personnel and transported to a local hospital for treatment.
“For their actions, Capt. Robert Levine; firefighters Joseph Mannari, Jose Berrios and Timothy O’Connell were awarded departmental recognition for the life-saving measures they performed so proficiently,” said De Sousa.
