North Lindenhurst, NY: On Saturday, March 13th 2021, Legislators McCaffrey and Donnelly joined other local officials in recognizing two local firefighters who rescued occupants trapped in two separate house fires.
On Saturday morning, Legislator McCaffrey took part in a ceremony at Babylon Town Hall giving thanks to two of Babylon’s bravest. Proclamations for saving life were presented to both Ex-Captain Gerald Lucas of the Babylon Fire Department and Lieutenant McGraw of the West Babylon Fire Department for their roles in alerting and evacuating residents from two separate house fires.
Ex-Captain Lucas, who has over 30 years of service with the Babylon Fire department, received his proclamation for actions taken on the evening of Thursday, February 25th, 2021. Lucas was out for a walk with his wife Nancy and dog Max when they came across a residential structure fire on Plymouth Street in West Babylon. Without hesitation, Lucas approached the home with a neighbor- where they were informed a person was still inside. He and the neighbor, while battling intense heat and flames, found a way into the home and pulled the victim from the structure just as the West Babylon Fire Department was arriving on scene.
Lieutenant McGraw performed his rescue while on duty with the Nassau County Police Department on the evening of December 18th, 2020. McGraw was on a routine patrol in the Hamlet of New Cassel when he recognized the distinct smell of a structure fire- and upon further investigation observed black smoke coming from a multifamily residence. He too approached the home, and was able to alert the inhabitants on the ground floor to the fire and helped multiple people escape before completing a search of the second floor. Simultaneously, McGraw alerted his fellow officers to the fire so that they may assist in evacuations, as well as alerted the Westbury Fire Department.
Both Ex-Captain Lucas and Lieutenant proved that our volunteers are truly never off-duty. Also presenting proclamations at the ceremony were Village of Babylon Mayor Mary Adams; Town of Babylon Councilmembers Antonio A. Martinez, Terence McSweeney, and DuWayne Gregory; and New York State Assemblyman Michael Durso.
Legislator McCaffrey represents Suffolk County’s 14th Legislative District which encompasses the Village of Lindenhurst, Babylon Village, the hamlets of West Babylon and North Lindenhurst, portions of Copiague, North Babylon and Babylon’s barrier beach communities.