Senate Resolution No. 1411

BY: Senator AKSHAR

COMMENDING Cody Maricle upon the occasion of his
designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the
highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New
York State Senate

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

WHEREAS, New York State 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
Nation; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Cody
Maricle upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty
Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York
State Senate; and

WHEREAS, The New York State Senate Liberty Medal was established by
Resolution and is awarded to individuals who have merited special
commendation for exceptional, heroic, or humanitarian acts on behalf of
their fellow New Yorkers; and

WHEREAS, At approximately 1 a.m. on Sunday, March 17, 2019, off-duty
Firefighter Cody Maricle observed a fire at a house located at 476
Washington Street; by the time he called 911, the flames had already
extended to both stories of the house on the exterior and was beginning
to burn through to the interior; and

WHEREAS, Without regard for his own safety, Cody Maricle ran to the
burning building, opened the front door and awakened the five members of
the family who were still sleeping in their home because the smoke
detectors had not been activated; as conditions rapidly deteriorated, he
helped the terrified family escape from the second floor of the burning
home; and

WHEREAS, The Susquehanna Fire Department was dispatched at 1:07 a.m.
and arrived on the scene with its first engine; the firefighters
discovered two stories of the house were fully involved, and the heat
from the fire was already causing damage to the house next door; and

WHEREAS, Upon the arrival of the second engine, the firefighters
laid large-diameter hose from a nearby hydrant and made connection to
the first engine; at this time, heavy winds drove the fire from the rear
of the house throughout the entire structure and began causing heat
damage to two neighboring houses on the left and rear; through the
astute actions of the firefighters, the fire was brought under control
and all units were clear at 3:55 a.m.; and

WHEREAS, Due to the due diligence of off-duty Firefighter Cody
Maricle, a family of five and their dog survived a devastating fire in
which they lost everything but their lives; and

WHEREAS, A resident of the Town of Oxford, New York, Cody Maricle is
a vital member of the Village of Oxford Fire Department; and

WHEREAS, Firefighters unwaveringly serve our great State with pride,
valor, and integrity; these respected men and women are often the first
to respond to an emergency, whether the emergency is a fire, an
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;
Cody Maricle is such a firefighter; he heroically performs, 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
commend Cody Maricle upon the occasion of his designation as recipient
of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the
New York State Senate; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Cody Maricle.