Special Thanks to All FDNY Members Honored at Medal Day

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro presided over the annual FDNY Medal Day Ceremony on Wed., June 5th at City Hall Plaza.

The event honored 67 FDNY Firefighters, Paramedics, EMTs, Fire Marshals and Officers for their life-saving work in the last year.

The FDNY Foundation would like to extend its thanks to all of the brave men and women of the FDNY and to those who were honored at the Medal Day Ceremony.

Notable medal recipients included:

• Lieutenant Patrick T. Mataraza, III of Ladder Company 56 received the James Gordon Bennett Medal and NYS Honorary Fire Chiefs Association Medal for rescuing 3 individuals from an apartment fire. Lieutenant Mataraza entered the building with zero visibility and located an adult and child lying unconscious on the floor. He was able to remove both victims safely. Lt. Mataraza then re-entered the apartment and located a third victim. He was able to remove the victim with assistance from a Rescue 3 member.
• Paramedic Jacqueline J. Benel of Station 14 received the Christopher J. Prescott Medal for responding to a medical call in the South Bronx. As Paramedic Benel and her partner were exiting the apartment with their patient, they heard screaming from the sixth floor: “Help! There’s a Fire.” Paramedic Benel began banging on every apartment door to evacuate the building. She was able to locate an elderly gentleman through almost no visibility that could not walk without help and would have been unable to self-evacuate.
• Captain Kenneth W. Freeman of Ladder Company 161 received the Thomas A. Kenny Memorial Medal for rescuing a young boy from a fire. Having to deal with the challenges of heavy clothing and toys littering the floor, Capt. Freeman recognized the outline of a small child. He tucked the young boy under his body to protect him from the high heat. He then re-entered the apartment to continue his primary search.
• Paramedic Usman M. Rahyab of Station 4 and Paramedic Jonathan Rivera of Station 20 received the Jack Pintchik Medal. Paramedics Rahyab and Rivera administered aid to a man that had his legs run over from an Amtrak cargo train. Flooding in different areas and having to climb over multiple tracks made the patient’s location difficult to access. Paramedics Rahyab and Rivera stopped the bleeding and administered additional aid. They then transported the man to the hospital.

To view the complete Medal Day Book, click here.

To view photos from Medal Day, click here.

Thank you, from all of us at the FDNY Foundation.