Freeport firefighters Stephen Palermo and Captain Peter Tomasicchio were honored during the 2026 Annual Firematic Awards Ceremony for the Nassau County Fire Commission on April 14. They received special citations in recognition of a rescue mission that occurred on Oct. 23, 2025.
During a response to reports of smoke from a Gala Foods Supermarket, Palermo vented and entered through a window of the building to search for victims when the front entrance was consumed by fire. Tomasicchio soon joined Palermo where they found an unconscious victim near a toilet and had their legs stuck.
Both men quickly freed the victim’s legs from around the toilet and carried them out of the building. The victim suffered second and third degree burns over a large portion of his body and airways and unfortunately succumbed to his injuries. However, the efforts of Palermo and Tomasicchio allowed the victim’s family to be present with him before he died, rather than trapped alone in fire.
For these actions, Palermo was awarded the Class I Gold Medal and Tomasicchio was awarded the Class II Silver Medal.
