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Best Firefighters in the World  
BESTS 

Tags: fire, fighter, best, top 10, work, firefighter, fireman, firewoman, hero

These men and women of our national firefighting force are all heroes:

1.	Kevin Apuzzio, Station 7, East Franklin, NJ - Early in the morning on April 11, 2006, Station 7 of the East Franklin Volunteer Fire Department suffered their first Line of Duty Death in their 86-year history. Fire Fighter Kevin Apuzzio died trying to rescue a 75-year-old woman from her burning home. As he was carrying the woman out, the floor collapsed beneath him and the intensity of the flames kept rescue workers from reaching him in time. Fire Fighter Apuzzio was only 21 years old when he died, but he had devoted his life to helping others. A senior at Rutgers University, Apuzzio not only volunteered at the firehouse, but also worked at the Rutgers University Department of Emergency Services and the Union Emergency Medical Unit. In recognition of his heroic actions, Apuzzio was posthumously honored with the Firemark Award for Heroism.
2.	OCFD, Oklahoma City, OK - Six members of the Oklahoma City Fire Department were honored for their heroic actions on July 15, 2005. Corporal Brian P. Hauk, Major Paul E. Straube, Corporal Tommy J. Thomson, Corporal Brian C. Lasater, Corporal Dennis H. Paige and Major Randy L. Cornelius responded to an emergency call and found a homeowner with limited mobility, trapped beneath a bed covered in burning ceiling tiles and insulation. With the blaze too intense in the front of the house, fire fighters entered through the back, and were able to rescue the man and take him to safety.
3.	Brian France, Middletown, CT - In May 2006, Middletown Fire Fighter Brian France was driving with his family when he saw a car swerve off the highway, hit a tree and burst into flames. He was off duty, but his fire fighter instincts kicked in. He slammed on his brakes and jumped out of his car to try to rescue the driver, who was trapped under the dashboard. The car quickly became engulfed in flames, so France and his wife scooped up sand from the side of the road and threw it on the car to contain the blaze until help arrived.
4.	Omar Shareef and Jason Boyd, Baltimore, MD - Early in the morning on April 26, 2006, fire broke out in an apartment building in West Baltimore. When the Fire Department arrived, there was heavy fire and smoke pouring from the building and people were frantically trying to escape. Hearing that people were trapped inside, Fire Fighters Omar Shareef, Jason Boyd and their co-workers entered a burning apartment to search, even though they did not yet have a water line and there were extremely adverse heat and smoke conditions. The cries of two young boys led Shareef and Boyd to two brothers, ages three and four, who were trapped. Each fire fighter lifted up a child and, as they carried the boys out of the building, their turnout coats and helmets were on fire. In fact, the fire was so intense, the word "Baltimore" had burned off of Shareef's coat.
5.	John Hernandez, Engine 32, St. Louis, MO - On October 26, 2004, Fire Fighter John Hernandez and others from Engine 32 arrived at a call to find a four-family home engulfed in flames and filled with smoke. Hernandez led a team on a valiant search-and-rescue effort through the fire-ravaged home and found an unconscious three-year-old boy, who Hernandez picked up and rushed to safety. The rescue saved the boy's life and earned Hernandez Liberty Mutual's first National Firemark Award for Heroism in 2005. The award included a $10,000 grant from Liberty Mutual, which went to the St. Louis Fire Department.
6.	Bonnie Lopez, Upton, MA - Bonnie is affectionately known as "Fire Fighter Bonnie" to the hundreds of school children she has met over the years while educating them on fire safety. With a degree in early childhood education along with more than several years experience as a fire fighter, Lopez has single-handedly grown the fire education program in Upton, a community of about 2,400 in the Blackstone Valley southeast of Worcester. Each month, Bonnie leads more than 25 elementary and middle school classes through fire safety sessions. Just days after attending a recent session, a fire started in a student's home. The girl quickly used the information she learned and helped evacuate all her family members safely. Also, two of her students have been recognized as "young heroes" by the state's fire marshal's office. The two children recognized a serious health problem with the mother of one of the girls and took the appropriate action to get her immediate medical care. Again, the girls were
7.	John Patrick Murphy, Ladder 156, Brooklyn, NY - A serious March 1995 car crash left Fire Fighter John Patrick Murphy with a broken neck and unable to resume full duties as a fire fighter. But that didn't stop him from giving his all to the FDNY and his community. For his work on the FDNY Help Team, providing support to families of fallen fire fighters and helping fellow fire fighters recover from on-the-job injuries, Fire Fighter Murphy was honored with Liberty Mutual's first National Firemark Award for Community Service and Public Education in 2005. The award included a $10,000 grant from Liberty Mutual, which Fire Fighter Murphy directed to the Thomas R. Elsasser Fund, which supports the families of active New York City fire fighters who died while not on duty.

Lister: ListAfterList Wiki Contributors
Source: BeFireSmart.com

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