Firefighter of the Year Award
2022 Recipient
Jared Lloyd (Awarded Posthumously)
Spring Valley Fire Department


On March 23, 2021, the Spring Valley Fire Department was dispatched to reported smoke in a building. This is an assisted living facility for handicapped residents and senior citizens unable to live alone.
Upon arriving, the Chief reported flames coming from the roof with people trapped on the second floor. Arriving on the scene, the crew of 17-Tanker, the first-due engine, quickly recognized that this would be a life-saving operation, and immediately entered the building to begin searching for trapped victims.
Room after room, stairwell after stairwell and hallway after hallway, Firefighter Jared Lloyd, along with other firefighters from multiple departments, searched for victims. Over the course of 53 minutes, multiple trapped, helpless victims were removed from the smoke-filled building by Lloyd. With their Viber alarms sounding, indicating that they were in the danger zone for low air, the last victim was handed off to other firefighters that were in the hall.
Lloyd and another firefighter began to make their way out of the building, but Lloyd soon became disoriented and put out a mayday that he was trapped in Room 306. Unbeknownst to Lloyd, he was not the only firefighter in need of assistance. All firefighters were ordered to evacuate the building, making it impossible for crews to rescue Lloyd.
When a new member applies for membership in the Spring Valley FD, they indicate that they are willing to volunteer their service for the welfare of the Village of Spring Valley and its paid districts and that they are willing to do for their neighbor in case of fire as they would expect the neighbor to do for them. They are advised that a volunteer firefighter’s service is to the community and his or her reward is honor and respect, and that faithful service is the test.
On the morning of March 23, 2021, Firefighter Jared Lloyd volunteered his service for the welfare of the residents of Evergreen Court Home for Adults, the staff members and for the firefighters on the scene. He did for those residents as he would have expected us to do for him, which led to the ultimate sacrifice of his life for everyone.
Lloyd’s actions not only saved many of the residents and staff members, but he was also personally responsible for saving the life of a brother firefighter. If Lloyd was here today, many would be thanking him for all he did that night.
Adapted from a nomination by Spring Valley FD Chief Kenneth Conjura
2022 Firefighter of the Year Sponsored by:
Past Award Recipients
1955 | J. Robert Kramer | Lewis Tompkins Hose Company #1 |
1956 | Edward Dixon | Great Neck Vigilants |
1957 | William M. Belinson | Eggertsville Hose Company |
1958 | John Patrick Cronin III | Tallman Fire Company #1 |
1959 | Dominic C. Zappia | Massena Fire Department |
1960 | Donald Brown | West Carthage Fire Department |
1961 | James Gilliam | Lewiston Fire Company #2 |
1962 | Russell Fleischman | Washington Engine Company #2 |
1963 | James H. Jackson | Andover Fire Department |
1964 | Donald H. Price | Nyack Fire Department |
1965 | Stephen R. Bucki | Harris Hill Fire Company |
1966 | Gary Elbert | Flower Hill Hose Company #1 |
1967 | Gordon O. Schmidt | St. Paul Boulevard Fire Association |
1968 | Jake Parris | Patchogue Fire Department |
1969 | Thomas Nameth | Slater Chemical Fire Company |
1970 | Charles L. Ossont | Westmoreland Fire Department |
1971 | Barry Simmons | Rhinebeck Fire Department |
1972 | Hobart A. Abbey | Forest View — Gang Mills Fire Deptartment |
1973 | Harry Charkow | Mattituck Fire Department |
1974 | John A. Keogh | Mattituck Fire Department |
1975 | John Richard Green | Merrick Fire Department |
1976 | Willard John Hoyt | South Schodak Fire Company |
1977 | Alton L. Lewis | Montour Falls Fire Department |
1978 | George Cannella | Islip Terrace Fire Department |
1979 | Randall R. Rhoades | East Syracuse Fire Department |
1980 | George Jerry Dean | Gates — Chili Fire Department |
1981 | David A. Sedlock | Massena Fire Department |
1982 | David L. Curley | Delhi Fire Department |
1983 | Richard W. Gehrt | Smithtown Fire Department |
1984 | Frederic Furminger | Depew Fire Department |
1985 | Thomas A. Phillips | S. W. Johnson Steam Fire Engine Company |
1986 | Michael F. Reid | Merrick Hook & Ladder Company #1 |
1987 | John L. Hyzer | Bainbridge Fire Department |
1988 | Paul Edward Vinciguerra | Lindenhurst Chemical & Salvage Company #2 |
1989 | Robert A. Frank | Central Islip Fire Department |
1990 | Robert Hitchcock | Blenheim Fire Department |
1991 | Charles R. Zigrosser | Bayport Fire Department |
1992 | George P. Motchkavitz | Great Neck Alert Engine Company |
1993 | Robert Pettigrew | North Babylon Fire Company |
1994 | Paul A. MacMurray | Hudson Falls Fire Department |
1995 | Kenneth T. Jones | Sayville Hook & Ladder Company #1 |
1995 | William H. Pyne III | Sayville Hook & Ladder Company #1 |
1996 | David A. DiDio | Bellport Fire Department |
1997 | Matthew F. Merecka | Freeport Fire Department |
1998 | Larry J. Stumpo | North Patchogue Fire Department |
1999 | James S. Fredericks | Mohegan Volunteer Fire Association, Inc. |
2000 | Mark Sposato | Brewerton Fire Department, Inc. |
2001 | Raymond Valles | Ossining Steamer Company #1, Inc. |
2001 | Donald J. Farrell | Cataract Hose Company #2 |
2001 | John Simkins | Ossining Fire Department |
2001 | William H. Brown III | Ossining Fire Department |
2002 | Dedicated to those who died in the Line of Duty 9/11/01 | |
2003 | Brian Stevens | Manlius Vol. Fire Company, Inc. |
2004 | John C. Glidden III | Huntington Manor Fire Department |
2004 | Frederick Steenson Jr. | Huntington Manor Fire Department |
2004 | Richard Prudente | Huntington Manor Fire Department |
2005 | Joseph Cirincione | Rush Fire Department |
2005 | Michael Terzo | Rush Fire Department |
2005 | Peter Henry | Rush Fire Department |
2005 | James Bucci | Rush Fire Department |
2006 | Richard J. Gimbl | Holbrook Fire Department |
2007 | Lieutenant Al Cinotti | West Islip Fire Department |
2008 | Lieutenant Edward Kunz | Bay Shore Fire Department |
2008 | Lieutenant John Ippolito Jr. | Bay Shore Fire Department |
2009 | Assistant Chief Timothy R. Ellis | North Syracuse Fire Department |
2010 | Kevin Oatman | Verona Fire Department |
2010 | Aldo Cacciotti | Verona Fire Department |
2010 | Jeff Hugunine | Verona Fire Department |
2011 | Second Assistant Chief Brian J. Lena | Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department |
2011 | Captain William J. “Billy” Bahr | Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department |
2012 | Andrew Kolesar | West Haverstraw Fire Department |
2013 | John Curley | Bellmore Fire Department |
2014 | Thomas J. Gorman | Bohemia Fire Department |
2015 | Frank Crispin | Moyers Corners Fire Department |
2015 | Steve Zaferakis | Moyers Corners Fire Department |
2015 | Phil Vogt | Moyers Corners Fire Department |
2015 | Ryan Whitmore | Moyers Corners Fire Department |
2015 | Jeremy Corsaro | Moyers Corners Fire Department |
2016 | Frederick Kopf | Baldwin Fire Department |
2017 | Timothy Duckham | Smithtown Fire Department |
2017 | Thomas Kriklava | Smithtown Fire Department |
2017 | Patrick Diecidue | Smithtown Fire Department |
2017 | Jennifer O’Brien | Smithtown Fire Department |
2017 | Joseph LaRocco | Smithtown Fire Department |
2017 | John Hansen | Smithtown Fire Department |
2018 | Peter DiPinto, Sr. | Brookhaven Fire Department |
2019 | Jason Bernfeld | Melville Fire Department |
2020 | Delphi Falls Fire Department, Manlius Fire Department, Cazenovia Fire Department, Pompey Hill Fire Department | |
2021 | Mark Miller & John Tighe | Lindenhurst Fire Department |