Nicole Falco
The Valley Stream Fire Department was honored by Nassau University Medical Center Dec. 18 for the actions it took to save the life of one of its own members.
NUMC also recognized the efforts of the Nassau County Police Department Marine/Aviation Bureau. In turn, the fire department presented awards to NUMC and hospital staff.
On Nov. 13, Billy Grace, 24, a lietenant with Rescue Company 1, fell nearly 15 feet from the cherry picker of a truck while working for the village in Firemen's Field. Grace, a motor-equipment operator for the Department of Public Works, sustained life-threatening injuries, including a fractured skull and a broken leg, as a result of the accident. Wind gusts that day were reported in excess of 60 miles per hour, but the accident was not attributed to the weather conditions.
According to Robert Petry, chief of the fire department, "It did not take long for every available member of the department to arrive at [Firemen's Field] and offer to help in any way they could. This is not at all surprising to me, since that's what firefighters do when one of their own is hurt."
Members arrived at the scene to assist other emergency service workers in treating Grace. He was airlifted to NUMC, a level-one trauma center, by Eric Aull, a helicopter pilot, and James Sarnataro, a paramedic, both of the Nassau County Police Department Marine/Aviation Bureau. The teamwork among members of the fire department, paramedics and the police department was essential to saving Grace's life.
Each month NUMC honors emergency medical service workers with an awards ceremony and luncheon. The fire department and the NCPD Marine/Aviation Bureau were chosen as the hospital's December honorees because of their actions Nov. 13.
Petry and assistant chiefs Joseph Garofalo and Brian Howley accepted the award on behalf of the fire department. Some two dozen firemen and family members attended the luncheon. Sarnataro, Deputy Inspector James Bonislawski and Captain Richard Strothman accepted the award on behalf of the Marine/Aviation Bureau.
The Grace family and the fire department, grateful for Grace's recovery, presented plaques of recognition to NUMC as well as individual members of the hospital staff for the medical attention Grace received.
"Lt. Grace is an extremely active and valuable member of our organization, who is well liked and highly respected by his peers," Petry said. "The recovery he made during his stay at Nassau University Medical Center was nothing short of miraculous."
Richard Turan, NUMC president and chief executive officer, accepted an award from the fire department on behalf of the hospital. The fire department also honored Dr. Richard Bagdonas, vice chairman of the NUMC Emergency Department, and his entire staff. The Grace family honored Dr. Donald Kreiff, the neurosurgeon who operated on Grace.
"There are no words to express the gratitude I feel toward Mr. Turan and the hospital," said Billy's father, Skip, a former Valley Stream Fire Department chief. "We walked into the hospital and it was like everybody had their arms wide open."
Billy's mother, AnneMarie, said, "We were taken care of just as well as [Billy] was."
According to the Graces, family and friends, including dozens of firefighters, spent the first 24 hours after the accident waiting for word that Grace would be OK. Discharged after 10 days, he is currently in a wheelchair, but he expects to be walking with the aid of crutches or a cane in time for the new year and will eventually be back on a fire truck.
On Nov. 25, the fire department hosted a blood drive to benefit NUMC, another thank-you to the hospital for saving Grace's life.
