04/16/2026
Congratulations!
The following individuals were honored at the 2026 Nassau County Fire Commission Firematic Awards Ceremony on Tuesday 4/14/2026 at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola:
• The Lawrence Cedarhurst Fire Department was awarded an EMS Unit Citation for their actions in the pre-hospital resuscitation of a patient in cardiac arrest on 6/17/2025.
• The Lynbrook Fire Department was awarded an EMS Unit Citation for their actions in the pre-hospital resuscitation of a patient in cardiac arrest on 5/5/2025.
• Firefighter Vincent Lombardo of the East Meadow Fire Department was awarded an EMS Lifesaving Award for the pre-hospital save of a two-year old child choking and not breathing in Garden City on 10/4/2025.
• Firefighter/EMT Aaron Ratner was awarded an EMS Lifesaving Award and the Vigilant Fire Company of Great Neck was awarded an EMS Unit Citation for their actions in the rescue and treatment of a patient with a cervical spine injury that was paralyzed from the neck-down from a traumatic fall in Kings Point on 4/6/2025.
• The Malverne Fire Department and Lynbrook Fire Department were each awarded a Unit Citation for their actions in fighting a locomotive fire on 5/2/2025 in Malverne, which involved electrical risks, hazardous materials, heavy construction equipment, and difficult access points. Their actions contained the fire to the railroad property and saved nearby homes.
• The Oceanside Fire Department was awarded a Unit Citation for their actions in the rescue, packaging, and removal of two victims who were trapped and crushed by a construction equipment collapse on 8/25/2025. The rescue involved specialized use technical rescue equipment and occurred in confined spaces.
• Assistant Chief Robert Kennedy and Firefighter Steven Zimmerman of the Massapequa Fire Department were each awarded Class III Bronze Medals for meritorious personal risk in the rescue and removal from a woman from a house fire on 1/2/2025.
• Firefighter Paul O’Brien, Firefighter Thomas Forman, and Firefighter Evan Lynch of the Rockville Centre Fire Department were each awarded Class III Bronze Medals for meritorious personal risk in the rescue and removal from a woman with severe burn injuries from an apartment fire in Rockville Centre, without the protection of a hose line on 5/8/2025.
• Assistant Chief Daniel Roeper of the Garden City Fire Department was awarded a Class II Silver Medal for great personal risk and Police Officer Michael Irizarry of the Garden City Police Department was awarded a Proclamation for their actions in the rescue of a firefighter who had partially fell through a hole in the floor at a house fire on 9/21/2025.
• Firefighter Stephen Palermo of the Freeport Fire Department was awarded a Class I Gold Medal for extraordinary personal risk and Captain Peter Tomasicchio of the Freeport Fire Department was awarded a Class II Silver Medal for great personal risk for their actions in the rescue and removal of a trapped victim with severe burn injuries from an apartment building fire in Freeport on 10/23/2025.
• Captain Philip Grella III was awarded a Class I Gold Medal for extraordinary personal risk, Firefighter Rodni Leftwich Jr. was awarded a Class II Silver Medal for great personal risk, Assistant Chief Justin Valeo was awarded a Class III Bronze Medal for meritorious personal risk, and the Glen Cove Fire Department was awarded a Unit Citation for their actions in the rescue and removal of eight civilians from an apartment building fire in Glen Cove on 4/17/2025.
• Firefighter Charles Karen of the Carle Place Fire Department was awarded a Class I Gold Medal for extraordinary personal risk for the rescue and removal of Assistant Chief William Geddish, also of the Carle Place Fire Department, who had fallen through the roof into a burning attic at a house fire in the Roslyn Heights section of the Albertson Fire Company’s response area. The rescue took place on uneven compromised footing with a growing area of collapse. Fellow members of the Carle Place Fire Department raced to the roof to assist in the removal of Assistant Chief Geddish’s gear and transfer him to receive immediate EMS care. Assistant Chief Geddish suffered second and third degree burns to his face and legs and spent three weeks at Weill Cornell’s Burn Unit, but his life was likely saved by Firefighter Karen’s quick actions. During the reading of the incident to an emotional audience, Fire Commission Chairman Joseph Mihalich Jr. and Chief Fire Marshal Michael F. Uttaro allowed Assistant Chief Geddish to personally place the medal on Firefighter Karen.
The Nassau County Fire Commission and the Office of the Fire Marshal would like to acknowledge the bravery, quick thinking, and teamwork involved in all these incidents and congratulate the award recipients. Their actions saved lives and represented the very best of the Nassau County Fire and Rescue service.
