LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Long Beach Fire Department Firefighter
Anthony Fallon for his heroic lifesaving action

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend the caring concern and heroic acts of individuals who take
prompt and appropriate action in emergency situations; and
WHEREAS, It is with great pride that this Legislative Body honors and
commends Long Beach Fire Department Firefighter Anthony Fallon for his
heroic lifesaving action on July 26, 2010; and
WHEREAS, On July 25, 2010, the night before their lives changed
dramatically, Long Beach, New York resident Glenna King put her 6-year-
old son Maxwell to bed in their upstairs apartment in a two-family home
at 322 E. Olive Street and, at around midnight, she, too, turned in; and
WHEREAS, The next thing she remembers is being awakened by an orange
glow and finding her apartment teeming with thick, acrid smoke; she
tried to make her way to her son's room but could not, at which point
she dialed 911, spoke with an operator and then lost consciousness; and
WHEREAS, The fire, which officials said was caused by a faulty power
strip, could have quickly turned tragic for Glenna King and her son, who
is autistic and doesn't speak, had it not been for the quick thinking
and teamwork of Long Beach Firefighter Anthony Fallon, Assistant Chief
Antonio Cuevas and Captain Hadrick Ray, the LONG BEACH HERALD'S 2010
People of the Year, who carried the mother and son to safety; and
WHEREAS, According to many of their colleagues, the actions of these
three men, described by Fire Chief Scott Kemins as one of the biggest
rescues in recent memory, are a fitting testimonial to the training and
preparedness of the Long Beach Fire Department, which celebrated its
100th Anniversary in 2010; and
WHEREAS, Firefighter Anthony Fallon, a professional firefighter who
has been with the department for 19 years, was first inside the home and
searched the upstairs apartment on his hands and knees; he found his way
to Maxwell King's bedroom, and carried the boy outside; and
WHEREAS, Correctly assuming that a parent wouldn't leave a child,
Firefighter Fallon re-entered the home and continued the search with
Assistant Chief Antonio Cuevas; they discovered Glenna King unconscious
in her bedroom; Anthony Fallon got snagged in a fire hose during the
rescue, but Captain Hadrick Ray emerged from the darkness to help in the
effort, and the three men carried Glenna King out of the house; and
WHEREAS, While Maxwell King was unharmed, his mother had suffered
severe inhalation burns, and would eventually spend 11 days in the
hospital; and
WHEREAS, Firefighter Anthony Fallon, 37, the father of two children,
remembers running past police officers on the front lawn telling the
first-floor residents to get out of the house shortly after the 911 call
came in at 3:18 a.m.; and
WHEREAS, Anthony Fallon was working a 24-hour tour that day; after he
slid down the pole at Engine Co. 3 headquarters and threw on his gear,
he and his colleagues raced to what turned out to be the wrong location;
Glenna King, fading in and out of consciousness, had, unfortunately,
given the 911 operator only two of the three numbers of her address; and
WHEREAS, Luckily, a neighbor flagged down a police officer, who
alerted the firefighters a few blocks away; according to Firefighter
Fallon, the brief delay, however, only added to the sense of urgency;
and
WHEREAS, Firefighter Fallon was hit with a pressurized blast of smoke
when he opened the door of the upstairs apartment; it was pitch-black,
and he had only a flashlight to guide him as he put his breathing appa-

ratus on and had to rely on his hands to tell him what kind of room he
was entering; as soon as he opened the door and felt the bed frame, he
knew he was in Maxwell's bedroom, where Maxwell was just sleeping and,
because his bedroom door had been closed, had been somewhat sheltered
from the smoke; and
WHEREAS, Firefighter Fallon's adrenaline was pumping as he grabbed the
boy and carried him downstairs and outside; as he was holding Maxwell,
Firefighter Fallon could feel him holding onto him tight and was grate-
ful to know the child was all right; and
WHEREAS, As Firefighter Anthony Fallon re-entered the home and contin-
ued the search with Assistant Chief Cuevas, the smoke load was extreme
and searching for Glenna King was risky because her bedroom was on the
other side of the living room, where the fire had started, and the
flames could have trapped them; and
WHEREAS, They had to crawl past the living room, which was on fire, to
find the other bedroom and, when they found Glenna King in her room, she
was totally unconscious; and
WHEREAS, The incident that night left an indelible mark on Firefighter
Anthony Fallon, Assistant Chief Antonio Cuevas and Captain Hadrick Ray;
they have forged a special friendship with the Kings and, in August,
Maxwell and his classmates paid a visit to Engine Co. 3 headquarters and
presented the men with a plaque they had created, thanking them for
saving their friend; and
WHEREAS, Firefighter Anthony Fallon, Assistant Chief Antonio Cuevas
and Captain Hadrick Ray were all named the LONG BEACH HERALD'S 2010
People of the Year and were presented with the Nassau County Fire
Commission's prestigious Medal of Valor for their bravery; and
WHEREAS, Firefighter Fallon, the first Long Beach Fire Department
firefighter to rescue two people from a burning home, has also fittingly
been honored by the Nassau County Legislature; and
WHEREAS, The immediate response of Firefighter Fallon, the other fire-
fighters, and EMS personnel exemplifies Long Beach, well-known as a
caring and compassionate community; and
WHEREAS, Justly recognized as a hero, Firefighter Anthony Fallon rich-
ly merits the admiration of this Legislative Body and his community for
his consummate courage and bravery on July 26, 2010, and on many other
occasions; and
WHEREAS, Firefighter Anthony Fallon, in his spontaneous and heroic
act, has so aptly demonstrated his character and compassion for the
welfare of others, personifying, by virtue of his action, the collective
concern of citizens across the community of the State of New York who
voluntarily respond when others are in need of help; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to pay
grateful tribute to Firefighter Anthony Fallon in recognition of his
heroic action in saving the life of Glenna and Maxwell King on July 26,
2010, noting the significance of his immediate response to come to the
aid of another in a life-threatening situation, as well as the benefits
of the outstanding training he has received as a member of Long Beach
Fire Department; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Long Beach Fire Department Firefighter Anthony Fallon.