These Lima firefighters were honored at the Western NY Volunteer Fireman’s Association Convention, From Left to Right: are Assistant Chief Rick Crego, Firefighter Mike Williams, Firefighter Jim Pribanich, Firefighter Andrew Jonas, Firefighter Paul Luft, and Junior Firefighter Evie Rose. Photo by Meghann Rose
BY RICHARD GAREY
At the Western NY Volunteer Fireman’s Association Convention in Dansville, NY, on July 26, 2025, six Lima Volunteer Fire Department members were recognized for Heroism. Earlier this year the same crew was honored for their heroism by the Livingston County Volunteer Fireman’s Association.
Nominated for actions on March 3, 2024 were Assistant Chief Rick Crego, Firefighter Andrew Jonas, Firefighter Paul Luft, Firefighter Jim Pribanich, Firefighter Mike Williams, and Junior Firefighter Evelyn Rose.
On March 3, 2024, The Lima Volunteer Fire Department and Lima Volunteer Ambulance were dispatched to a 2-story, single family dwelling for an “Automatic Fire Alarm Activation”. The call quickly escalated to a reported house fire with one occupant entrapped. The first arriving Chief found a working structure fire with two occupants in the driveway in need of medical attention and an additional occupant entrapped in the structure in the vicinity of a first-floor bedroom. A second alarm was initiated, summoning several adjacent fire departments.
Before the first apparatus arrived, Firefighter Mike Williams arrived on scene, followed closely by Assistant Chief, Rick Crego. Firefighter Williams and Assistant Chief Crego attempted to enter the structure at multiple points,multiple times, to locate the entrapped victim without the aid of air packs as they were not yet present on scene. Extreme heat, flames, and dense black smoke prevented them from entering the structure beyond a few feet.
The first arriving apparatus, Pumper 235, was crewed by operator Paul Luft, two interior firefighters, Jim Pribanich and Andrew Jonas and Junior Firefighter Evelyn Rose. Within 90 seconds of arrival, Assistant Chief Crego, Firefighter Williams and Junior Firefighter Rose had deployed a handline while Driver and Operator Paul Luft expertly placed the pump into operation and opened the pre-connect valve, allowing water to reach the nozzle just as the handline crew arrived at the edge of the structure. The handline crew attacked the seat of the fire on the first floor from an exterior window they had removed while the two interior firefighters aggressively entered the structure and began searching for the entrapped victim. With the swift knock down of the bulk of the fire, the interior firefighters rapidly located the entrapped occupant and dragged him to the front door, unconscious but breathing. Assistant Chief Crego moved to the front door and completed the extrication of the victim while Firefighter Williams and Junior Firefighter Rose kept the fire at bay, allowing for the safe withdrawal of the interior crew and the victim. Assistant Chief Crego, aided by other arriving firefighters carried the victim to the Ambulance where his care was transferred to Lima Ambulance Chief, Meg Rose. With the arrival of second alarm crews, priority shifted to an interior attack and the fire was rapidly contained to the first-floor room of origin and extinguished. The entrapped victim of this fire was extricated less than 5 minutes after the first firefighter arrived on scene, and less than 2 minutes after the first interior team arrived on scene, due to the professional, aggressive, and heroic efforts of this crew.
The WNYVFA Award for Heroism was awarded to this crew for their actions on March 3, 2024: Assistant Chief Rick Crego, Firefighter Andrew Jonas, Firefighter Paul Luft, Firefighter Jim Pribanich, Firefighter Mike Williams, and Junior Firefighter Evelyn Rose.
