Thursday, October 1, 2026
“It’s a very special night for Nassau County,” said Raymond Maguire, ex-chief of the Freeport Fire Department, “and for the brave firefighters that we’re honoring and their families tonight.”
More than 150 packed the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola on April 20 for the Nassau County Fire Commission Awards Ceremony, which honored a total of 14 firefighters from various fire departments in Nassau County with Medal of Valor awards for going above and beyond the call of duty.
Three Long Beach firefighters — Assistant Chief Antonio Cuevas, firefighter Anthony Fallon, and Captain Hadrick Ray — were recipients of the prestigious Medal of Valor award for their heroic rescue of Glenna King and her 6-year-old son, Maxwell, on July 26 after a fire broke out in their upstairs apartment in a two-family home at 322 E. Olive St.
Fallon, a professional firefighter who has been with the department for 19 years, was first inside the home and searched the upstairs apartment on his hands and knees. He found his way to Maxwell King’s bedroom, carried the boy outside and, assuming that a parent wouldn’t leave a child, re-entered the home and continued the search with Cuevas. They discovered Glenna King unconscious in her bedroom. Fallon got snagged in a fire hose during the rescue, but Ray emerged to help in the effort, and the three men carried King out of the house.
At the ceremony, Cuevas and Fallon both received the Silver Medal of Valor, a class II award that recognizes a firefighter for his or her great personal risk. Ray was the recipient of the Bronze Medal of valor, a class III award for meritorious personal risk.
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano praised all the recipients for their commitment and service to the county.
“Bravery, courage and sacrifice are just three words to describe your dedication,” Mangano said to the firefighters. “For that dedication, I am eternally grateful, and so are 1.3 million residents here in Nassau County that you protect.”
After both Fallon and Cuevas were awarded their medals, King, who was in attendance, was asked to come forward to speak of the three firefighters.
“You guys are so brave and selfless,” King told them. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t
for you.”
After the ceremony, Long Beach Fire Chief Scott Kemins said he was proud of his firefighters, and that the ceremony was a tremendous honor.
“It was well-deserved,” Kemins said of the awards. “I’m very pleased. The whole department is proud of them.”
Cuevas said he was honored, but what is most important to him is that others are seeing that there “are people out there who do care for the citizens of Long Beach.”
“I wasn’t looking for a medal. I was doing my job,” Cuevas said. “[Though] it’s nice to be recognized for what you do.”
Fallon described receiving the award as special and a “once in a lifetime” moment. “The fact that we’re handpicked and getting recognition for the job we did, that’s pretty special,” Fallon said, noting that King’s remarks made the event more meaningful. “That was a touching moment,” he said.
Afterward, King said she remains forever grateful to Cuevas, Fallon and Ray — the Herald’s 2010 People of the Year — for saving her and her son.
“They don’t like it when I call them
my heroes,” King said, “But I do. Because they are.”
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