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60. Philip LaNasa (1998-1999)

Served 2 Years

Philip LaNasa was born April 29, 1952, in the Bronx and moved to Hicksville at an early age. He is the son of Anthony and Josephine LaNasa. He married Eileen on October 21, 1984. They are the proud grandparents of eight grandchildren and one great granddaughter. Phil was employed with Nassau County as an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and later the New York City Fire Department where he retired in 2005 with a combined 32 years of service. They lived on Acre Lane in Hicksville and have since moved to Montgomery, New York.

Phil graduated from Hicksville High School in 1971 and then attended Nassau Community College.

Phil joined the department as a member of Floodlight Company 8 (known today as Floodlight / Heavy Rescue Company 8) in November of 1976. Phil was elected as 2nd Lieutenant of Company 8 in 1986 and 1987 before being elected as their Captain in 1988-1989. Phil also served as their secretary and treasurer. He also served as Captain of the Rescue Squad in 1982 - 1983.

Phil was elected as 3rd Assistant Chief in 1992 by a very close margin of 92 - 88 against his challenger, William “Spike” Thunell. He was also elected again in 1993. He was elected as 2nd Assistant Chief in 1994 - 1995, 1st Assistant Chief in 1996 - 1997 before being elected as the 60th Chief of the Hicksville Fire Department in 1998 - 1999. His Assistant Chiefs were William “Spike” Thunell (1st), Patrick “Paddy” McGeough (2nd) and Steve Doucette (3rd).

A house fire on New Year's Day at 142 West John Street forced nine occupants out into the frigid weather. The fire started in the rear of the house, in the kitchen area, and spread unchecked up into the attic. When the firefighters arrived on the scene the fire was already in the attic and was presenting a heavy smoke condition. Under the command of newly installed Chief Phillip LaNasa, seventy-five firefighters from the Hicksville Fire Department responded to the call. All the occupants of the house had escaped from the house unharmed. It took over an hour to expose the fire in the walls and the attic area. The house sustained heavy damage, and for a time threatened to spread to a neighboring home that was only six feet away from the burning house.

The department had a busy month in June responding to house fires. The fire on Bay Avenue on June 5, caused over $150,000 in damage, was the most serious and dangerous incident. The firefighters battled another house fire at 52 Rover Lane on June 10. Seven units responded to a fire that was sparked from work that was being done in the garage. The fire spread up through the attic crawl space to the rear of the second floor. The damage was confined to a small area of the house, but smoke damage was heavy throughout the home.

On November 2, 1998, a fast-moving blaze broke out on Burns Avenue, near the Hicksville Post Office. The alarm was reported from a neighboring business shortly after 11:00 AM. The general alarm fire broke out in the Knit Works Company, a textile firm, and quickly gutted it. Heavy smoke, soot and some minor water damage affected four of its neighboring businesses. Two adjacent firms also suffered roof damage. Knitworks was in the center of a five-tenant light industrial complex, just off West John Street. Businesses on either side were saved from major damage by fast-working firefighters. Two hundred firefighters under Chief LaNasa fought the blaze for several hours before bringing it under control. Overhaul operations, such as checking for hot spots, lasted until midnight. The roof and front wall collapsed shortly after the arrival of Hicksville fire units.

On May 19, 1999, inauspicious winds and fire friendly conditions fed a fierce, early-morning blaze that nearly destroyed a four-story office building at 333 North Broadway, on the Jericho/Hicksville border. Frustrated, anxious employees of about 35 small businesses located within the building were not permitted to enter the building, which suffered severe damage to its southernmost side. Gusty winds blew from north to south, making matters worse as they pushed the flame and heat from the plastic container directly into the building. The only condition that was favorable, was the time. Fortunately, nobody was in the building. At the time, the fire was contacting the ceiling of the building's ground-floor parking garage, which is made of Styrofoam. The fire also did damage to the adjacent building, a Big & Tall clothing store located just south. The firefighting operation required manpower from six departments-Jericho, Syosset, Plainview, Carle Place and Westbury-and five more were kept on standby. There were 27 trucks and 100 men on the scene. The fire was brought under control in about three hours.

On November 26, 1999, a vacant building known as a hangout for local youths burned in the early morning. The one-story building located at 250 Old Country Road Is located behind Antun's Catering hall.

Chief LaNasa has received several awards: Nassau County EMS Award in 1993, and Ex- Chiefs Award. Both awards were received for saving the life of a teenager that was stabbed.

Phil also received Three Fire Unit Citations, Two EMS Unit Citations, Three Town of Oyster Bay Community Awards (Avianca airplane crash, Nor'easter in Bayville, and Suffolk County Wildfires), and two Town of Oyster Bay Merit Awards. A description of some of his actions are listed below.

Phil was part of a Unit Citation in January of 1984. The crew responded to a Rescue call on the platform of the Railroad Station. Upon arrival they found an elderly woman in cardiac arrest. Working as a team, they performed C.P.R. on the victim amidst the snow and ice. Their efforts proved successful, and the victim survived the attack. Many months later word was received that the victim passed away a month later, but the family expressed their gratitude for giving them a chance to say their goodbyes and to ease the pain of their mother.

Another Unit Citation that Phil was part of, was his actions he took on Monday, August 10, 1987. The Hicksville Fire Department received a report of an auto accident with aided at Broadway and Old Country Road. The first unit to arrive notified the dispatcher that there was a three-car accident. When 938 arrived at the scene the crew was told that there were people trapped in one of the cars. This car was on the center divider and into a light pole. The light pole was hit so hard that it was just hanging over the car. While the AEMT started to stabilize the two victims, the rest of the crew went to work in stabilizing the car and getting the extrication tool ready to work. While removing the first aided from the passenger side of the car, the extrication spreader was used to remove the driver's door to get to the second aided, whose vital signs at this time were deteriorating. The crew was now pressed for time. Not only because of the aided's condition but also because the light pole might fall on the car and them. After the door was removed the aided was still trapped in the car by the steering wheel. At this time the extrication chains and spreader were used to pull the steering wheel from the aided and then the driver's seat had to be pushed back with the extrication rams to free the aided. The aided was then removed from the auto and transported to the hospital. The quick reaction of 938's crew and their expertise in the use of the extrication tool resulted in a quick and smooth operation without further injury to the aided.

Phil received the Certificate of Merit for Medical Service Award for his actions on October 18, 1991. The Hicksville Fire Department responded to a Medical Emergency call for a possible overdose at 40 Salem Road. First arriving members Lieutenant Sokolski and Firefighter Sala found an unconscious male in respiratory arrest and began artificial ventilation. Ex-Capt. LaNasa had now arrived at the scene and inserted a simple airway and began a survey of the aided. During this time, it was discovered that the aided had injected himself with an unknown drug. At this point, the ambulance arrived at the scene with Lieutenant Johnson and Firefighter Efinger. The aided was packaged and removed to the ambulance and transported to NCMC. While in the ambulance, the members began performing advanced life support measures which included intubation and continued ventilations, suctioning, establishing an IV and administering the prescribed drugs as called for by Medical Control. As the members were in the process of transferring the aided over to the hospital, the patient began breathing on his own and regained consciousness thanks to the skills of these members.

Assistant Chief LaNasa received the Chiefs Award and the Nassau County Fire Department EMS award for his actions on June 11, 1993. Hicksville Fire Department was celebrating its 100th Anniversary when a violent attack on a 16-year-old male had taken place about a block away from the festivities. This violent attack resulted in the victim sustaining a near fatal stab wound to his neck. The assault had taken place less than an hour after a riotous crowd of youths that had been involved in a series of physical altercations in and about the general area was dispersed. Assistant Chief LaNasa was standing in front of Fire Headquarters when a bystander came up and advised him of a stabbing victim on the corner of Broadway and he proceeded to the scene by foot. Assistant Chief LaNasa, who was the first to reach the victim, had to push his way through an emotionally charged crowd. His initial size up revealed that the youth had sustained a serious stab wound to the neck and that the wound was actively spurting bright red blood which indicated that the wound had involved the major arteries of the neck. Assistant Chief LaNasa immediately applied direct pressure to the opened wound to control the bleeding. As Assistant Chief LaNasa struggled to control the bleeding and await assistance, he did so while there was an emotionally charged crowd all around him and continued to render aid not knowing if the person (s) responsible for committing this violent act were still present and a threat. In the finest traditions of the fire service, Assistant Chief LaNasa distinguished himself by providing critical aid to a victim who sustained a life-threatening injury from a violent act and did so not knowing if the person(s) responsible were still present in the emotionally charged crowd of youths all around him.

Phil received the Emergency Medical Service Award for his actions on April 4, 1994. The Hicksville Fire Department responded to the Department of Motor Vehicles building on South Broadway for an unconscious female. Upon Assistant Chief LaNasa's arrival, he found the person in cardiac arrest. Assistant Chief LaNasa started CPR with Ex-Captain Don Moore who had also just arrived at the scene. As CPR was being performed AEMT Donald Hudson arrived and took over ventilations while Chief La Nasa inserted an endotracheal tube. The team continued with CPR and after a couple of minutes from their arrival when the ambulance arrived, bringing in with them advance life support equipment, Paramedic John Evans set up the cardiac monitor and he defibrillated the patient. After administering some medications, the patient was shocked a second time and began to breathe slowly but again relapsed back into ventricular fibrillation. Medications were once again introduced, and the patient was shocked a 3rd time. The team now moved the patient to the Ambulance and prepared to transport her to the hospital. The patient was delivered in a stable condition to the hospital and a follow-up a week later revealed the patient was still alive and in the Intensive Care Ward.

In 1994 Phil was awarded an Emergency Medical Service Award, for his role in a team that resuscitated a resident in cardiac arrest. On September 17, 1994, at 21:08 hours the Hicksville Fire Department responded to 194 9th Street for an unconscious and unresponsive resident. Upon arriving on scene Assistant Chief LaNasa joined Chief Schweitzer who was in process of administrating CPR. With the arrival of the ambulance a couple of minutes later, Lieutenant Drayer and Firefighter Huttle entered, assisted, and continued doing CPR while Ex-Captain Brevogel set up the advanced life support equipment in the ambulance. The patient was moved out to the ambulance and CPR was continued. While transporting the patient to Central General Hospital, several attempts were made to establish an IV, but these attempts failed. The patient was now showing a very slow heart rate, and medications were ordered from medical control. Because of the lack of an IV, medications were administered down the endotracheal tube which had been inserted earlier. Upon their arrival at hospital, the patient was stable. Because of AEMT LaNasa and the team applying their basic and advanced EMS skills and teamwork, the patient was resuscitated and survived the life-threatening ordeal.

Chief LaNasa was an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician, a member of the Department Softball Team, Hazardous Materials Team, Hockey team, and had served on the Labor Day Committee for 11 years.

Immediately following the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Phil, as a member of the New York City Fire Department, spent countless hours, days, weeks, and months at the site searching for his brothers. Ex-Chief LaNasa has since moved to Montgomery, New York with his family.

 

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