September 15, 2005 -- Two of New York's Strongest took up the role of the Bravest yesterday, by saving a 4-year-old girl from a burning Brooklyn building.
Sanitation workers Michael Kalinowski and Damon Allen took a break from emptying garbage cans to scoop up little Emani McCovery when her stepfather dangled her from the second floor fire fire-escape of their Remsen Avenue building.
"I was like, please don't let me drop this baby!" said Allen, who was thinking of his own daughters, a 12-year-old and, coincidentally, a 5-year-old named Imani.
Allen and Kalinowski were in the middle of their shift in East Flatbush when they saw a building on fire around at 4 a.m.
"We decided to stop and see if anybody needed help," said Kalinowski, 25.
Damion Whyte had awakened on his couch to a room full of black smoke. He grabbed Emani, and, after failing to get out one window that was engulfed by flames, climbed out onto the fire escape.
"I was shouting, 'Somebody catch my daughter, somebody catch my daughter!' " said Whyte.
The three-story drop looked daunting, so the sanitation men told Whyte to try to climb down one floor. He made it down one flight, then held his daughter out as Allen got in position to catch her.
The 55-pound girl was caught easily, and with Emani safe, Whyte was able to climb all the way down the fire escape.
"I thank God for these two guys right there," said Whyte of the heroic duo. "They're lifesavers
