A former Seymour resident and current New York City firefighter was honored June 6 for his heroic actions in November during a hellish fire in the Bronx.
Michael J. Gardella III, 32, a firefighter with Ladder Company 51 of the FDNY, was among the firefighters sent to battle a fire in a series of peaked-roof garages in the Allerton section of the Bronx.
After arriving at the scene, firefighters realized the place had been converted into illegal apartments — making a dangerous situation that much more dangerous.
People were trapped inside.
Gardella, wearing breathing apparatus, busted through a heavily fortified door to get inside. He did not have a hose line or fire extinguisher with him.
Once inside, fire started eating through a flimsy door and into the room where Gardella was standing. The apartment was filled with smoke. He was forced onto his stomach, according to a summary from the FDNY, and began blindly searching for a person thought to be trapped inside.
The apartment was also stuffed with assorted materials, as the resident was a pack rat. The place didn’t even have windows — and there was only one way in and out.
Feeling around the illegal apartment with his outstretched arm, Gardella eventually discovered a woman unconscious in a bathtub. He lifted her out — not an easy task, because she was obese. Gardella then dragged her through the burning structure and outside to safety.
Once outside, he started CPR on the woman, who survived. A man in one of the illegal apartments died.
A video news report from WABC-TV is embedded at the bottom of this article.
New York City honored Gardella June 6 during the annual FDNY Medal Day. Gardella received the prestigious Fire Chiefs Association Memorial Medal.
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“Gardella upheld the greatest traditions of the New York City Fire Department. He operated without regard for his personal safety and under extreme conditions,” according the New York City Fire Department. The woman “would not be alive today if it wasn’t for FF Gardella’s aggressive action and disciplined search efforts.”
Gardella said he was humbled by the recognition.
He said he didn’t think about the danger when he was in the burning room. The episode lasted 10 to 15 minutes. Training kicked in.
“You really don’t think about it. It’s something we’ve been over so many times before, it becomes second nature,” he said.
Gardella is a 1998 graduate of Seymour High School. He’s been around firefighting his whole life.
His father, Michael, has been a member of Seymour’s Citizen Engine Co. #2 since 1972.
Gardella started volunteering with Citizen Engine in 1997. He also spent six years as a member of the Milford Fire Department, before he took the job with FDNY in 2006.
Joining the New York City Fire Department was a lifetime goal.
“It’s the FDNY. The best of the best,” he said.
