Senate Resolution No. 4733

BY: Senator GOLDEN

HONORING Firefighter William Dash upon the
occasion of his designation as recipient of the 2018
Oscar Award by the Bay Improvement Group (BIG) on
April 19, 2018

WHEREAS, Citizens across our State and Nation are inspired by and
indebted to our noble volunteer firefighters who exhibit courage and
bravery every day in the course of their duties; and

WHEREAS, Firefighters exemplify the power of human compassion and
the strength of the American spirit through actions of the most heroic
magnitude; their sacrifices and their selfless dedication merit tribute
and recognition by all citizens of this great country; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Firefighter William Dash upon the occasion of his designation as
recipient of the 2018 Oscar Award by the Bay Improvement Group (BIG) to
be celebrated at its Awards Dinner for Distinguished Community Service
on Thursday, April 19, 2018, at Il Fornetto in Sheepshead Bay, New York;
and

WHEREAS, This prestigious award recognizes those individuals who
serve and contribute to the Brooklyn community; William Dash is truly
deserving of this commendation for his efforts in saving three
individuals' lives after a car accident; and

WHEREAS, A lifelong resident of Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn, William
"Billy" Dash joined the FDNY in 2008; currently, he works for Engine
Company 276; and

WHEREAS, On June 27, 2017, William Dash was driving home In his
personal vehicle with his wife, when he witnessed a horrific vehicular
accident between two occupied vehicles, a dark sedan and a white SUV at
the intersection of Gerritsen Avenue and Devon Avenue; and

WHEREAS, After the sedan slammed into the SUV at a high rate of
speed causing severe damage to both vehicles, it instantly burst into
flames; off-duty firefighter William Dash immediately stopped his
vehicle to assist the victims while his wife called 911 for additional
assistance; and

WHEREAS, William Dash approached the sedan first, and observed heavy
fire in the engine compartment and heard screams for help from the front
passenger seat; he forcibly opened the door and assisted her to safety
on the curb; and

WHEREAS, Upon returning to the vehicle, William Dash saw the driver
laying on the ground; realizing the male victim had a severe leg injury,
he picked him up and carried him to safety; and

WHEREAS, William Dash then learned there was another person sitting
in the rear passenger seat before the accident; William once again

returned to the burning vehicle to search for this last victim through
thick black smoke and intense flames; after opening the jammed rear
door, he located an unconscious victim on the floor partially stuck
under the front seats; and

WHEREAS, While breathing through his t-shirt, William Dash was able
to free the unconscious male's legs and arms, and removed him from the
back passenger compartment to safety as well; and

WHEREAS, By now, several bystanders were on the scene, and William
Dash approached the SUV to check on potential victims; upon discovering
they were all right, he returned to the three victims on the curb to
triage their injuries; and

WHEREAS, Shortly thereafter, Engine 321 arrived on the scene, and
William Dash gave a quick report of all three patients and directed the
Lieutenant to the most severely injured from the sedan; and

WHEREAS, Without the protection of any personal protection equipment
and fire extinguishing capabilities, William Dash put his life at risk
to save three lives from a terrible vehicular accident; if it was not
for his bravery, these three people most likely would have suffered
severe burns and/or death; and

WHEREAS, With him throughout have been his wife, Eileen, and their
two daughters, Lilyanna and Gia, all of whom have shown him love and
support and rejoice in his many achievements; and

WHEREAS, Firefighters unwaveringly serve our great State with pride,
valor, and integrity; these respected volunteers are often the first to
respond to an emergency, whether the emergency is a fire, transportation
accident, natural disaster, act of terrorism, medical crisis, or spill
of hazardous materials; and

WHEREAS, It takes a special dedication, a strong desire to help
others and a tireless sense of community to forsake precious time with
family and friends to respond to the signal that a neighbor is in need;
William Dash is such a firefighter; throughout his years of devoted
service, this volunteer heroically performed, above and beyond the call
of duty, those responsibilities which define the task of fire
protection; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Firefighter William Dash upon the occasion of his designation as
recipient of the 2018 Oscar Award by the Bay Improvement Group (BIG);
and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Firefighter William Dash.