Hempstead honors Baldwin firefighter veteran

A Baldwin firefighter was one of 31 individuals honored last month by the Town of Hempstead for outstanding service.

Fred Kopf, of Ladder Co. No. 2, rescued a man from a burning building July 4. As Jerry Brown, district supervisor of Battalion Co. 2, said, Kopf “went above and beyond.” The rescue, Brown said, was done “at extreme risk.”

Kopf was nominated by the Baldwin Fire Department for the 2015 Firematic Service Award, which was given at Hempstead Town Hall on Oct. 22. The honorees, who represented 18 fire departments, included firefighters and emergency medical technicians who performed heroic rescues, and others who dedicated decades of service to their departments, the town said in a statement.

According to Brown, Kopf, a 28-year veteran of the department, rescued a man from a burning apartment building at 21 Old Mill Rd.

Brown said Kopf had to go to the second floor of the building without a hose and crawl through the burning apartment to find the victim. The man later died.

“It’s nice to be recognized, but it’s a shame the person passed away,” Kopf said. “But it’s nice that the fire department is recognized for what they do.”

He said the fire marshal’s initial report indicated that the victim had been smoking in the living room, where the fire started. Kopf found the man in the bedroom, under a blanket. He was unconscious.

According to Kopf, who is also a 17-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department, he heard the call and went to the address. He found a chief at the building and learned that a victim could still be inside. Initially, fire officials believed the victim was a woman.

Kopf said he had his own turnout gear with him, but borrowed a face mask and flashlight, and went inside. He said other firefighters were just beginning to spray their hoses.

He said the beginning of the search was difficult. At first, “there was no water on the fire,” he said. “It was hot. I couldn’t see.”

In the apartment, the first victim he found was a dead cat. Then he went through to the bedroom and found the man. “When I found him, I started dragging him, and there were some problems, like a closed door,” Kopf said.