FDNY Crews Rescue Five from High-Rise Fire

Training and fireground communications played a big role in the successful rescue of several residents from a Manhattan high-rise fire Saturday evening, an FDNY battalion chief said.

Firefighters were dispatched to the Polo Ground Houses, a New York City Housing Authority building just after 6:30 p.m. for an apartment fire.

“As we approached the building, we saw smoke coming from the top floor," Lt. Thomas Donoghue, Engine 84, said in a statement. "Before we arrived on scene, we had reports of people trapped inside. We went up to the 30th floor of the high-rise building and set up our position."

Knowing people were inside the apartment, firefighters entered the unit before a hoseline was ready for fire attack.

Firefighter Michael Murray, Ladder 34, helped a person from the fire apartment and that's when they informed firefighters that four people were trapped in the rear of the unit.

Inside the fire apartment, Lt. George Diaz and firefighter Gerardo Urena were tying to contain the fire when they heard people screaming and began search efforts.

Lt. Diaz found two people and removed them from the building.

Urena continued searching where he found two people trapped in a back room. 

As fire conditions intensified, Urena made the decision to shelter in place in the rear room until firefighters knocked down the fire. 

With the fire knocked down, Urena got evcauted the two people from the apartment through the building's interior.

“There were a total of five rescues that took place at this high heat, heavy smoke fire," Battalion Chief Christopher Ritchie, Battalion 13, said in the statement. "The communication between our members was fantastic. Everyone was on point."

"Training is a very important life-saving tool, and we do it constantly in order for us to make quick decisions based on the circumstances around us,” Ritchie added.

Seventy-eight firefighters responded with 20 units and had the fire under control in an hour.