Cherry Hill Firefighters, Resident Recognized For Heroic Acts

CHERRY HILL, NJ — Three Cherry Hill firefighters who responded to the Champlain Towers collapse in Surfside, Florida, were honored at last week’s Cherry Hill Township Council meeting. A man who save his neighbor from a house fire in May was also recognized.

Cherry Hill Fire Department, Captain Bob MacDermott, Captain Dan DiRenzo and Firefighter Jake Speas, deployed with New Jersey Task Force 1, one of 28 teams of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System after the tower collapse, officials said.

After deploying on July 1, they spent two weeks helping with the search and recovery effort, officials said.

Mayor Susan Shin Angulo and Council also honored resident Nick Procopio. It was early morning on May 29 when Procopio heard smoke alarms going off at his neighbor’s home. He told his family to call 911. He then ran toward the burning building and rescued his 90-year-old neighbor.

When the fire department arrived, they were able to rescue the woman’s 63-year-old daughter from the house, before getting the large body of fire under control, officials said.

“Tragically, the daughter later succumbed to her injuries from the fire, a loss that is mourned deeply by her loved ones and is felt throughout the community,” officials said. “Thank you, Nick, for your bravery, compassion, and kindness toward your neighbors.”

The woman’s daughter-in-law thanked Procopio and the township during the meeting.

“There are no words that I could use to say thank you enough to Nick and his family for watching over my family,” she said. “I need you to know that your police and fire department and rescue personnel are fabulous. They are wonderful people. They spoke individually to me. They are caring people. They’re not just doing their job, but they care about people. When Nick saved my mother-in-law, he ran into a burning building. I don’t know if I could have done that. She’s alive, and she’s well, and getting better.”