Deputy Chief Fire Chief Honored By Lawmaker For Off-Duty Acts Of Heroism

GOLDENS BRIDGE, NY — A deputy fire chief took his work home with him, and it didn't go unnoticed.

New York State Sen. Pete Harckham joined the Goldens Bridge Fire Department’s monthly Board of Commissioners meeting on Oct. 20 to honor Deputy Chief Robert Melillo for what the department described as extraordinary bravery.

See Also: Car With Sleeping Driver Travels 6 Miles On I-684, Golden's Bridge Deputy Fire Chief Helps Avert Disaster

At the meeting, Harckham presented Melillo, a longtime member of the department, with a New York State Commendation Award and a Senate proclamation. The recognition followed two off-duty incidents earlier this year in which Melillo intervened along I-684.

The first happened in March, when Melillo helped a motorist who was asleep at the wheel on the highway. The intervention prevented what the announcement described as a potentially fatal situation.

A month later, Melillo was again traveling on I-684 when he saw smoke coming from the cab of a tow truck that was responding to a fender bender. He put on his gear, took a portable fire extinguisher and knocked down the flames in 90 seconds.

The fire was stopped before it reached the truck’s gas tank. Melillo’s actions prevented the fire from potentially spreading to nearby brush.