Senate Resolution No. 1452

BY: Senator PALUMBO

COMMENDING Lieutenant Justin Berry upon the
occasion of his designation as Firefighter of the
Year by the Firefighters Association of the State of
New York

WHEREAS, Citizens across our State and Nation are inspired by and
indebted to our noble volunteer firefighters who exhibit courage and
bravery every day in the course of their duties; and

WHEREAS, Volunteer firefighters exemplify the power of human
compassion and the strength of the American spirit through actions of
the most heroic magnitude; their sacrifices and their selfless
dedication merit tribute and recognition by all citizens of this great
country; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Lieutenant
Justin Berry upon the occasion of his designation as Firefighter of the
Year by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY);
he was honored at a Heroes Award ceremony held on Thursday, August 10,
2023, in Niagara Falls, New York; and

WHEREAS, FASNY represents over 80,000 volunteer firefighters and
emergency medical personnel in New York State; the association
recognizes its bravest members who exemplify commendable fire service
and community protection with this prestigious honor; and

WHEREAS, Volunteer firefighters unwaveringly serve our great State
with pride, valor, and integrity; these respected volunteers are often
the first to respond to an emergency, whether the emergency is a fire,
transportation accident, natural disaster, act of terrorism, medical
crisis, or spill of hazardous materials; and

WHEREAS, Lieutenant Justin Berry, a seven-year member of the
Riverhead Fire Department in Long Island, answered, alongside his team,
a call of a structure fire where a 77-year-old man was trapped in the
home; without hesitation, and in an act of selfless service and bravery,
this courageous Lieutenant entered a window on the backside of the
house, where he was met with very dark and extremely hot conditions, and
began crawling alongside the inner wall of the structure to locate the
victim; and

WHEREAS, Due to the decisiveness and haste of Lieutenant Justin
Berry, the victim trapped in the fire was ultimately rescued and taken
under the care of emergency response personnel, where medics performed
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), ultimately reviving the man; and

WHEREAS, It takes a special dedication, a strong desire to help
others, and a tireless sense of community to forsake precious time with
family and friends to respond to the signal that a neighbor is in need;
Lieutenant Justin Berry is one such firefighter; throughout his seven
years of devoted service, this volunteer heroically performed, above and
beyond the call of duty, those responsibilities which define the task of

fire protection, justly receiving the esteemed designation of
Firefighter of the Year in the State of New York; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Lieutenant Justin Berry upon the occasion of his designation as
Firefighter of the Year by the Firefighters Association of the State of
New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Lieutenant Justin Berry.