Captain Joseph Morro, Firefighter Brian Szeluga, & Engine 160 Honored at The 2024 FDNY & EMS Valor Awards!
It is no small task to do what the members of the FDNY do. They are often regarded as the bravest, and rightfully so. When Everyone is running out of tragedy. They’re charging in. When someone is facing their toughest day, New York’s bravest are called to provide hope. They aren’t brave because they lack fear, they are brave because they do what they must, in spite of that fear. New York City's Fire Department is full of heroes and we are so proud to have two of those heroes with us at Tom Crimmins Realty. It was on March 27th, 2024, that these members of our real estate family, along with other fellow Firefighters, were honored at the Island Chateau by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce for their bravery and dedication to our city. Their names are Joseph Morro and Brian Szeluga, and they are the epitome of who you’d want to see on your toughest day.
Both men, along with the rest of their Unit at Engine 160, were honored for their heroics that took place during a house fire involving multiple children on December 23, 2022. Despite facing insurmountable odds, it was during this fire that the Unit knocked back several rooms and a hallway of intense flames and heat to rescue one of the children trapped in the blaze. It was because of their actions on that tragic day that the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce honored them as Staten Island’s “Unit of the Year.”
Firefighter Brian Szeluga, who was on the scene that day, stated, “It’s a tough thing to really talk about and make it sound like an award that we are happy to receive. At the end of the day, we were faced with an advanced fire condition and did our job without hesitation the way we were trained. And even with the best training and flawless execution, we (couldn’t) save everyone. That day we lost 3 young kids, but our actions helped facilitate the rescue of 1 kid who is still alive today.”
Truly a tough day for all the people involved, and as Brian also stated, “Even without the recognition, Capt. Joseph Morro, myself, and the other 3 guys will always be bonded by that fateful day."
As it was previously stated above, Captain Joseph Morro and Firefighter Brian Szeluga are the epitome of who you’d want to see on your toughest day. They are brave. They are strong, and they are willing to go the extra mile to make sure that they do everything they can to complete the task at hand. We are so proud to have them a part of the Tom Crimmins Realty Family and it is those same qualities that we cherish as an agency. So, even though you may see them on your most tragic day, you may also see them during one of your happiest days when it comes to purchasing a home. It’s a full circle identity they both share. They are firefighters who preserve homes, and they are realtors, who sell those homes. However, most importantly they are heroes that we are so grateful to have!
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