________________ OYSTER BAY _______________
HERALD Opening up the garden to all
Studying nature with balloons
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VOL. 126 NO. 50
DECEMBER 6 - 12, 2024
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Photos courtesy Atlantic Steamer Fire Company
Firefighter Primo Simbari, left, and 1st Assistant Chief Francesco Barbera were among the Oyster Bay firefighters who answered the call from Greenwood Lake, New York.
O.B. firefighters help out far from home By WILL SHEELINE wsheeline@liherald.com
When a raging forest fire tore through Greenwood Lake and nearby Warwick, New York, last month, six firefighters from the Atlantic Steamer Fire Company, in Oyster Bay, answered the call to assist. Responding to a request coordinated by New York State Forest Rangers and local fire marshals, the crew brought their expertise, grit and teamwork to the front lines of the Sterling Forest State Park blaze. The group, which included 1st Assistant Chief Francesco Barbera and firefighters Bill Gagliano, Ron Bagan, Matt Baranski, Ray Nor ton and Primo Simbari, joined a num-
ber of fire departments from Nassau County and across the state in a grueling operation on New York’s southern border with New Jersey. Their mission: help contain a fire that had already burned thousands of acres and posed a significant threat to nearby homes and residents. Atlantic Steamer’s involvement began when the Nassau County fire marshal reached out to local chiefs, explaining the need for manpower and specific equipment to help battle the fire. Barbera quickly disseminated the message to his team. “We received the request and put it out to our membership,” Barbera said. “Anyone interested in going was welcome to
reach out to us. Within around four hours, we had a crew ready to respond.” The response required a 72-hour commitment, divided into three 24-hour shifts. The Atlantic Steamer crew headed to New York on Nov. 13. This was the first experience with a large wildfire for most of the team, but one member, Ron Bagan, a retired firefighter and a certified wildland fire squad boss, brought years of specialized training to the effort. “I’ve been volunteering with the forest rangers out east since 2011,” Bagan said. “I’m trained in wildland firefighting through the National Wildfire Coordination Group, and have CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
One of the Atlantic Steamer Fire Company’s jobs was to do controlled burns ahead of the fire so it couldn’t spread farther.