2023 Chief of Department Peter J. Ganci, Jr. Medal
NYS HONORARY FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION MEDAL
FDNY Firefighter Artur Podgorski
Ladder Company 108 (assigned) / Ladder Company 16 (detailed)
November 5, 2022, 1020 hours, Box 33-0877, Manhattan Appointed to the FDNY on November 12, 2019. Previously detailed to Engine Company 55 for a year rotation at the time of the incident. Holds a bachelor’s degree in health service administration from Lehman College. Resides in Whitestone, New York, with wife Astrid. Firefighter Artur Podgorski’s detail on Saturday, November 5, 2022, put him at one of the most memorable fires in recent history. Ladder Company 16 was assigned second due to a phone alarm with reports of people trapped by fire on the 20th floor of a high-rise apartment building. First arriving units transmitted a 10-77,
With the elevator no longer working, Ladder 16 ascended the stairs to the floor above the fire. On their way up, Lieutenant Joseph Decker (Ladder 16) and FF Podgorski (can) briefly stopped to help Engine Company 8 free their hose line by prying the door it was wedged under, allowing it to advance.
On the 21st floor, FF Podgorski joined members from Ladder 16 and Ladder 2 preparing for a life-saving rope (LSR) rescue. He assisted Firefighter Belvon Koranteng (Ladder 16, roof) out of the window, then helped secure Firefighter Christian Wellinger (Ladder 2, roof) as he lowered FF Koranteng. FF Koranteng discovered that the first victim, now hanging completely outside the window, was entangled in the window guard; he reported that an additional member was needed to assist with the other victims.
As additional members arrived in the apartment, the decision was made to lower FF Podgorski. Firefighter Julian Castaneda (Ladder 35, roof) began setting up his LSR in the cluttered apartment. Members navigated around furniture and construction debris to set up the rope operation. Complicating matters was the fact that simultaneous, side-by side LSR rescues were happening from the same window, in a cluttered apartment, with no substantial object initially. As the rope was being prepared, FF Podgorski determined the location of the victim, readied the anti-chafing device and placed his bunker coat over the jagged, light-gauge metal frame for added protection. The firefighters knew time was of the essence, so FF Castaneda placed his feet against the bed to brace himself, and—with a Halligan in hand— FF Podgorski exited the window.
The smoke condition intensified as FF Podgorski reached the window, due to the heavy volume of fire ignited by lithium-ion batteries. While FF Koranteng held the victim’s legs, FF Podgorski was able to take hold of her and properly secure her. At that point, FF Koranteng was lowered to the floor below. Both securing the victim and freeing her arm proved difficult for one member on a rope, so FF Darren Harsch (forcible entry, detailed to Rescue Company 1) directed the members inside to haul FF Podgorski up and into a better position to secure the victim. FF Harsch then exited the window, and together, the two firefighters worked to free her. Several times during this difficult and coordinated rescue effort, FF Podgorski climbed or was pulled up to get better leverage under the direction of the lowering members. Once the victim’s arm was freed, she and FF Podgorski were lowered inside the 19th-floor window to start medical treatment.
The actions of Firefighter Artur Podgorski were beyond what he envisioned in “taking the detail.” After climbing 21 flights and being lowered on a life-saving rope—without being tied off to a substantial object—to rescue an entangled victim while 20 stories high, FF Podgorski never wavered in his actions. For his extreme bravery and actions, he is hereby awarded the Chief of Department Peter J. Ganci, Jr. Medal and the NYS Honorary Fire Chiefs Association Medal. – AP
