Life-Saving Rescue Earns West Hempstead Chief Bronze Medal

West Hempstead Fire Chief Jason LaCombe is a hero.

LaCombe recieved the Bronze Medal of Honor Wednesday night for the bravery and heroism he displayed last May when he rescued a woman from a ferocious fire inside a Hempstead apartment building. 

The blaze, which broke out inside the Terrace Avenue building on May 5, 2011, trapped two women inside, but LaCombe and three other local firefighters risked their lives to save them. As flames raged from the third floor apartment, they made their way up the burning building, without the protection of a hose line, to search for the women.

They quickly located one of the women by the doorway, but as conditions worsened, the firefighters conducted a systematic search to locate the second resident, who was disabled. It was then that LaCombe and three Hempstead firemen - Conner Gerahty,  Matt Taylor and Kevin Rugg - finally found the womanin her bedroom. CPR was initiated and she was removed to EMS personnel outside the building and then transported to the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow.

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano presented the Medal of Honor to LaCombe at the 2012 Nassau County Awards Ceremony held on April 25 in Mineola. Members of the along with family and friends, were on hand for the presentation.

This is the second award LaCombe received for his part in the rescue. The four brave firefighters were by the Town of Hempstead in October 2011.