Firehouse is pleased to announce the honorees in the 2015 Firehouse Magazine Michael O. McNamee Award of Valor. The honorees displayed great bravery in the face of dangerous conditions.
Formerly known as the Heroism Awards, the Michael O. McNamee Award of Valor reflects a larger mission to change firefighters’ perspectives about what it means to be brave in the face of danger. Specifically, the award is now named after Worcester, MA, Fire Department District Chief (ret.) Mike McNamee because of the courage he displayed at the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse Fire in December 1999, when he made the bold decision to stop additional Worcester firefighters from entering the building when there were already six lost inside.
We would like to thank the judges: Fire Chief Paul Bourgeois of the Superstition Fire & Medical District, AZ; Deputy Chief William Goldfeder of the Loveland-Symmes, OH, Fire Department; Assistant Chief Brian Schaeffer of the Spokane, WA, Fire Department; and Deputy Chief John B. Tippett, Jr. of the Charleston, SC, Fire Department.
#1: Brian J. Colleluori, Fire Department City of New York (FDNY)
On Feb. 1, 2015, FDNY Engine Company 310 and Ladder Company 174 responded first-due to a fire in a private three-story tenement in Brooklyn. Black smoke was pushing around the jamb on an interior garage door leading to the building's interior, and Ladder 174’s inside team attempted to make access through this point. Lt. Brian J. Colleluori found an entrance under the stoop unlocked and entered the building. He was immediately faced with heat and heavy black smoke under pressure. Alone and without the presence of a handline, Colleluori continued his search toward the rear of the building. After about 25 feet, Colleluori came upon an unconscious 65-year-old man and transmitted a 10-45 (fire victim) to Battalion 58. Firefighter Duffy was able to force the interior garage door, providing an easier removal of the victim. Colleluori then continued his search and came across an unconscious 49-year-old woman. With fire above his head, Colleluori began dragging the victim toward the garage door, and due to extreme heat, he had to do so from his knees. This was an arduous task due to the victim’s size. Conditions rapidly deteriorated and a flashover occurred. With fire now approximately 2 feet off the floor, Colleluori was pinned down by flames, making victim removal impossible. He attempted to shield the victim from the heat by lying on top of her. He requested a hoseline or water can be brought in immediately to improve conditions. Firefighters Koster and Duffy made their way toward Colleluori to assist. Koster crawled below the flames and expelled the entire can into the fire area, and Firefighter Fitzgerald vented a window on the exposure 4 side, improving conditions inside. Shortly thereafter, Engine 310 got water in their hoseline and began hitting the fire, further improving conditions. Colleluori was then able to drag the victim toward an exit, and Firefighter Koster assisted with removal. Once the victim was removed, Colleluori and his inside team continued the primary search and assisted Engine 310 with locating additional fire. Unfortunately, the female resident succumbed to her injuries, but Colleluori’s actions saved the life of the male victim.
#2: John Ward, Kootenai County Fire & Rescue – Post Falls, ID
On April 13, 2015, off-duty Lt. John Ward found his neighbor’s home (a single-family residence) on fire. He immediately radioed Central Dispatch for a structure fire with possible people trapped. Ward found his neighbors outside the back door of the residence. They were concerned for another family member still inside the home. Ward looked inside the home, grabbed a couple pets inside the door and then saw a woman lying on the floor about 12 feet inside. He made entry through the back doors, crawling underneath the hot smoke, without the availability or protection from PPE or SCBA. He grabbed the female occupant and removed her from the home. (She had recently undergone surgery and was unable to self-evacuate.) The home erupted in flames shortly after the occupant was removed from the structure.
#3: Alex Wallbrett, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department
On June 24, 2015, San Diego Engine 4 was called to a medical aid. An intoxicated man was sick at a downtown trolley station—a routine call. Firefighters Ben Vernon and Alex Wallbrett began attending to the patient, when, with no warning, a bystander intruded, pulled a knife and attacked Vernon, breaking a rib and puncturing a lung. Without a moment’s hesitation, Wallbrett vaulted a three-foot high barrier and put himself between his partner and the attacker. He protected Vernon from further injury or death, and in the process was himself stabbed in the shoulder and back, with one stab landing perilously close to his spine. Their assailant was convicted of attempted manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon. After a long physical and psychological recuperation, Wallbrett is back on duty at Station 4; Vernon will be rejoining the engine company soon.
