A 2002 awards ceremony for the Jersey City Fire Department held Thursday highlighted their participation in the Sept. 11 World Trade Center tragedy.
Delivering the keynote speech at the ceremony at the Hyatt Regency on the riverfront, Mayor Glenn Cunningham lauded the fire department as one of the positive aspects of the day terrorists brought down the Twin Towers. “The part played by the Jersey City Fire Department was the one of the saving graces of that day,” said Cunningham. “Our fire and rescue workers saved untold lives at Ground Zero.”
Cunningham added that firemen put their lives on the line as part of performing their duty and go to work knowing they might not return from a call.
“They are heroes in the wings,” Cunningham stated.
A total of 250 Jersey City firefighters were present for the awards ceremony, bringing with them their wives and children. Also at the ceremony was Capt. John Salka of the New York City Fire Department, who presented awards of congratulation and appreciation to the Jersey City Fire Department.
“We are glad to have a such a proactive and aggressive fire department across the river as Jersey City,” said Salka, addressing the estimated 500 attendees at the ceremony.
After the destruction of the New York City Office of Emergency Management in the collapse of the first tower, Salka said, Jersey City was the first municipality to have its OEM running and able to help New York City with rescue efforts.
According to Salka, the New York Fire Department had quickly used up its supply of respirator masks attempting to get people out of World Trade Center.
“By 10 a.m., Jersey City had its mask service unit across the river and at Ground Zero,” said Salka.
Another crisis occurred soon after when New York ran out of dust masks for its rescue workers.
“The Jersey City OEM had 10 cases of dust masks to us in less than 30 minutes,” Salka stated.
Salka added that members of the Jersey City Fire Department gave first aid to injured victims, including New York firemen, and transported them to hospitals in Hudson County.
“Volunteers from the Jersey City Fire Department combed the hospitals checking on New York fire fighters,” Salka said. “They drew up a list and informed family members where the firefighters were being treated.”
One of those firefighters was treated for cardiac arrest at Jersey City Medical Center.
“I can’t say enough good things about those guys,” said Capt. Al Fuentes of the New York City Fire Department.
Fuentes was in the second tower organizing rescue efforts when the tower collapsed. Rescue workers from Jersey City pulled Fuentes out of the rubble and helped him to a nearby fire boat, which was about to cross the Hudson River.
“When I got to Exchange Place, I went into cardiac arrest,” said Fuentes. “I was rushed to the hospital, where I was treated. The Jersey City Fire Department saved my life.”
Posthumous award
Receiving the Civilian Merit Award and Medal of Valor posthumously was Jersey City Fire Department dispatcher Joseph Lovero. Lovero, according to Battalion Chief William Peters, responded to a request for assistance on Sept. 11 and was killed by falling debris when the south tower fell down.
“He was removing doors from the lobby of the south tower when it came down,” said Lovero’s daughter Maxine McCormac. “They couldn’t get the doors off so people could get out, and my father knew how to take them off.”
McCormac said her father was a true hero who gave his life unselfishly.
“My father always wanted to be a firefighter, but couldn’t because his health kept him back,” McCormac said, adding that her father, who had been a dispatcher for six years, also worked for the fire department’s food service.
“He had multiple injuries to his body, but when they were taking him away in the ambulance, he wanted to go back and help,” said McCormac.
Lovero died two hours after the collapse at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City.
Three children saved
Among the units cited for non-Sept. 11 events were Engine 17 and Ladder 11 for responding to a four-story apartment fire on Dec. 21, 2001. According to Capt. Charles Lind of Engine 17, the two units arrived at 2267 Kennedy Blvd. to find three children trapped inside the burning structure.
“The mother was hysterical when we got there,” said Lind. “She told us her children were inside.”
The firefighters removed the children, a two-month old infant, a year-old child, and a 5-year-old, from the burning building and administered oxygen, stabilizing the children before the EMS workers arrived.
“We never heard any more about them, so I imagine they were okay,” said Lind.
“From the bottom of my heart I say that I appreciate everything the Jersey City Fire Department has done for us this year,” Cunningham concluded toward the end of the ceremony.