Five Towns Volunteers Honored at Firematic Awards

Several members of the Woodmere and Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Departments were among those honored by the Town of Hempstead at the Firematic Awards Thursday night.

“Tonight, I am proud to stand among a group of Hempstead Town’s bravest as we salute the courageous and caring individuals who volunteer their time and efforts to protect our communities,” Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray said. “No matter the time of day, or the conditions presented to them, these brave men and women are at the ready, even at the most harrowing moments, to care for their fellow citizens.”

The following members of the Woodmere Fire Department were honored: EMT Nicole DeSibio, EMT Margaret Hempstead, EMT Matan Fridman, Ex-Captain/EMT Benjamin Nelson, EMT Ross Rieman and Firefighter Adam Slotnick.

The following members of the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department were honored: 2nd Deputy Chief Anthony Rivelli, Lieutenant Moshe Bellehsen, Firefighter Justin Caliguri, Firefighter Joseph Sorrentino and Firefighter Thomas Cinque.

No one knows better than first responders that mere seconds can spell the difference between life and death for a distressed victim.

Without wasting a precious second, a courageous team of first responders, spanning two fire departments, saved the life of a 2-year-old last May in Cedarhurst.

Because of a busy day in the Five Towns, the Lawrence-Cedarhurst ambulance was on another call and unable to respond to a call for a choking victim. The first hero to fill the void and respond was the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department’s 2nd Deputy Chief Anthony Rivelli, who administered life-saving procedures to an unresponsive 2- year-old victim.

Assisted by a team of firefighters from engine company 323, Deputy Chief Rivelli was able to remove several obstructions from the child’s airway. The group of responders included Lawrence-Cedarhurst Lieutenant Moshe Bellehsen and firefighters Justin Caliguri, Joseph Sorrentino and Thomas Cinque.

Following a series of rescue techniques by the group of Lawrence-Cedarhurst firefighters, the child was taken to the Woodmere Fire Department ambulance, which rapidly responded to the neighboring call. Deputy Chief Rivelli assisted the medics as they made their way to the hospital via a Nassau County Police escort.

The previous presentation emphasized the importance of teamwork. If not for the quick decision-making and fast-actions of brave emergency medical technicians from the Woodmere Fire Department, a toddler may not have survived a scary ordeal. With Lawrence-Cedarhurst’s ambulance unavailable, and aware that seconds are vital in the pre-hospital care of a child not breathing, Woodmere Fire Chief Richard Jankosky immediately enlisted Ambulance 359 to respond to the neighboring call.