The FDNY's Anthony "Mike" Romano was only back on the job for a few weeks following a serious injury when he put his life on the line last winter to save a fellow firefighter.
The FDNY's Anthony "Mike" Romano was only back on the job for a few weeks following a serious injury when he put his life on the line last winter to save a fellow firefighter.
Romano's actions have earned him top honors as the first place recipient of Firehouse Magazine's annual Heroism Awards.
On Feb. 26, 2008, the Queens firefighter arrived on Ladder 142 to a reported single family house fire in the Richmond Hill community.
"It was a delayed response, and the dispatched address was wrong and we were a block away from the fire," Romano said. "We all had to run around a block to get to it; which was not fun."
Romano said the fire didn't seem like much at first as he checked the basement in the rear of the home; but then he began hearing Mayday transmissions.
"Because I was in the building, I didn't realize how serious it was," he said.
Only being back on the job for a few weeks, he said what would unfold would be "a rude awakening."
The previous September, Romano was hurt and was out of commission for five months. A service stairway collapsed, injuring him and a comrade while battling a fire. He tore several ligaments and said his recovery was tough.
After hearing the Mayday, he began climbing a ladder from the outside of the home to the second floor -- where the Mayday was reported -- and went through a window. He went six to eight feet into the house and was able to find Firefighter Robert Grover of Ladder 143.
"I knew I was going to do something. I knew he was on the second floor but didn't know his location," he said. "It was the only window on the rear of the house and luckily he was in the general vicinity."
"My initial plan was to get back to ladder, but then the room just lit up," he said. Romano grabbed Grover and they both jumped off the roof 20 feet to the ground, with Grover landing on Romano.
"After that I remember I was in a collar in an ambulance."
Romano was kept at the hospital overnight and had second degree burns to his face. Grover was hospitalized with burns on his neck, ears and hands.
"I was amazed I wasn't hurt anymore than I actually was," he said, noting that both of them were lucky and joked, "(Gover) said I was like landing on a bunch of pillows."
Following the incident, Romano said he didn't know how to handle the attention but took it in stride.
"I was a bit awkward, in a sense," he said. "I never felt nervous answering questions; it was just attention I wasn't used to getting."
About the heroism award he said, "I think it's great for my firehouse and the battalion to get some recognition from this. I've never thought I'd get this type of honor; it's very overwhelming."
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