Heroic Acts Earn 11 Hoboken Firemen Awards

It was just a regular summer day for Fire Captain Joe Schisani last year. Schisani was sitting by a pool in Paramus, "watching the day go by," when he noticed a child crying in the pool and trying to get out. When he got the little boy out of the water, he noticed something else at the bottom of the pool. 

"I saw a figure," Schisani said. He jumped in, and got a 63-year-old Fort Lee woman from the bottom of the pool. She didn't have a pulse, Schisani remembered.

"She was a good shade of blue," he said. 

After performing CPR for a few minutes, ambulance personnel took over. Later on, Schisani found out that the woman survived her near-drowning experience. 

"I looked at her and I saw my own mother," he said.  

It was April 30, 2011, and Ian Metcalfe was down the shore, paddle boarding when he noticed a man in the water unable to get out. He was able to get the man onto his paddle board and bring him safely back to shore.  

A few months later, on Oct. 24, 2011, a construction worker plummeted 30 feet, and was unable to get up afterward. Three of Hoboken's fire companies were dispatched—Ladder 2, Engine 5 and Rescue 1—to try and get the guy out of the building. It seemed that the man had a broken back and was unable to move. The firemen were able to get the man out of the building and into an ambulance. 

Eleven Hoboken fire fighters were honored for these acts of courage on Wednesday night and received Valor Awards, given out by Fire Chief Richard Blohm. 

The honorees were Captains Joe Schisani, Rey Martinez, Luis Turso and James Wallington. Fire fighters Michael Cirko, Lawrence Kolmer, Andrew Moroney, Frank Daliani Jr., Ian Metcalfe, David Turner and Michael Hayes also received awards. 

"It's a proud moment for everybody," Blohm said. "They put their own lives in jeopardy ... despite adversity, weddings, holidays."

Proud of his men, Blohm continued, "they give 100 percent, 100 percent of the time."

For the captains and fire fighters themselves Wednesday night was a proud moment, too. 

"It feels great," Captain Martinez said. "I'm proud. Proud of my guys, we train hard."