East Meadow firefighters seek help for family of one of their own

A typical Wednesday-night training session for the East Meadow Fire Department’s Engine Company No. 2 would start with members arriving at the headquarters on East Meadow Avenue to find that former Capt. Michael Smith had come early and was watching “Jeopardy.”

Once the meeting started, Smith would switch gears, and become a mentor to the newest volunteers. “The young guys looked up to him,” said his fellow firefighter Frank Ciaccio. “He’d support them and help them, but he also kept them in line.”

Smith finished his term as captain last April, when his health began to decline. For seven months he grew more ill, until he was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in November. “He had no idea he was sick,” Ciaccio said. “That’s what scared us all.”

Smith died on Dec. 28, at age 55.

After his diagnosis, EMFD members planned a fundraiser on Feb. 9 to help offset his medical expenses. After hearing of his death, they decided that the event would go on as scheduled, to celebrate his life and offer financial support to his wife, Victoria, and their two daughters.

“It’s been a tough couple of months in the Fire Department,” Ciaccio said, explaining that Smith was one of three dedicated members who had died since November.

Michael Finkelman, 65, a former fire commissioner and chief of Ladder Company No. 2, died on Nov. 15 after a long illness, and Devin Finneran, 20, a new firefighter, also with Ladder Company No. 2, died suddenly on Jan. 22.

Some East Meadow and Levittown residents have rallied to support Finneran’s family with a meal train. Over the next month, neighbors will visit his parents and three siblings, providing them with hot meals and company. Anyone looking to donate or coordinate a meal can go to https://bit.ly/2GxfqHC. 

“When you’re a firefighter and you respond to someone in an emergency, you just do it. It’s boom, boom, boom,” Ciaccio said. “But when it’s one of your own, it’s completely different.”

Smith was born in New Hyde Park on Dec. 16, 1964. He was a member of the New Hyde Park Fire Department for six years before moving to East Meadow and joining the EMFD in 1998. In 2001 he joined Engine Company No. 2. He was elected the company’s second lieutenant in 2016, first lieutenant the following year and captain in 2018.

John O’Brien Sr., an ex-chief of the department, described Smith as “a man who exemplified the true dedication, and commitment, of this outstanding company.”

“Even guys who moved away are coming back for the fundraiser,” Ciaccio said, adding that EMFD members paid for the event themselves.

Tickets are $10, and the event will include music, food, raffles and a Chinese auction. Firefighter Anthony Russo’s wife, Kim, a psychic known as the Happy Medium, will do gallery-style readings at the event for $50 each and a meet-and-greet for an additional $20.

“The fire service is a family,” Ciaccio said. “Once you’re in our family, you’re always in our family. And if one of ours needs help, we’re going to do whatever we can.”

“I’m not used to seeing that — I’m used to us reaching out to the firefighters for assistance,” said Dan Ratkewitch, of East Meadow, who runs a Facebook/YouTube channel called Helping Hands Podcast. Ratkewitch interviewed Ciaccio about the upcoming event on a recent episode of his show, which highlights local philanthropic efforts.

Ciaccio said that firefighters face the risk of exposure to toxins every time they respond to an emergency. Even after they wash their gear and facemasks, they may unknowingly breathe in harmful chemicals from soot and grime that become embedded in the equipment. “Over the years, we’ve been exposed to toxins,” he said, “and we don’t know what’s gonna happen down the line.”

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found in 2013 that firefighters face a 9 percent higher rate of cancer diagnoses than the general population, and 14 percent more cancer-related deaths.

In July 2018, President Trump signed legislation ordering the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to set up a registry of firefighters that will track links between workplace exposure to toxins and cancer diagnoses. The National Firefighter Registry is still being established, and will be open to firefighters who are interested in enrolling later this year.

To donate to the Smith family, mail a contribution to Engine Company No. 2 headquarters, at 197 East Meadow Ave. in East Meadow, or donate via Venmo at SmithFundRaiser2020@gmail.com.