Firefighter of the Year Award

 

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

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