As Police Officer Fernandes approached the vicinity he smelled smoke and saw a haze coming from rear yards. He looked over a fence and saw a working house fire approximately a block away. Unable to access the house from his present location, Joe notified his dispatch of the approximate location and severity of the fire and then began searching for the driveway to the home. When Officer Fernandes located the correct driveway he placed his Police cruiser at the entrance with the lights on to alert the responding firefighters to the correct location.

For some Police Officers this is where the job would end, but as a Firefighter, Joe knew that the survival time in a fire of this magnitude was limited. Joe ran up to the house and was about to kick in the door when he remembered his fire department training:”Try before you pry”. He found that the front door to the home was unlocked and Joe knew that this was a good indication that the home was occupied. Despite smoke which was beginning to bank down Joe entered the home and began conducting a search of the first floor. He did so without the benefit of a hose-line, protective gear and an air-pack which he would normally be afforded as a firefighter. Unable to locate any occupants on the first floor Joe pushed his way past the smoke and ascended the stairs to the second floor. Conditions in the home continued to deteriorate but Joe was determined to insure that everyone was out. He called out for to see if anyone was home and suddenly he heard a faint moan. Joe stayed low and made his way down the hallway to the master bedroom. He found a semi-conscious woman who was disoriented and physically unable to escape the fire on her own. Joe picked her up and carried her down the stairs were he was met by a fellow Kings Point Police Officer and responding Firefighters. Together they removed the victim from the home. Once safe outside, the incident took its toll on Officer Fernandes and he was transported to the Hospital for smoke inhalation.

Firefighter/Police Officer Fernandes was treated for smoke inhalation and later released from the hospital. Subsequent investigation revealed that the victim had recently undergone back surgery and was on pain medication which rendered her unable to walk unassisted. Had it not been for the heroic actions of Joseph Fernandes the situation would have likely been fatal. Joe credits his experience as a Mineola Firefighter with giving him the training to effectively search and rescue the occupant from the burning home. The members of the Mineola Fire Department are extremely proud of the actions taken by one of their brother firefighters.