Mid Westchester Elks Honor First Responders at Annual Ceremony
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
While many people are grateful for the efforts of police, firefighters and EMS workers, sometimes their efforts can get overlooked. Over the past several years, the Mid Westchester Elks Lodge has made sure that won’t happen.
Last Tuesday, Lodge No. 535 honored nine first responders for exemplary service, including putting themselves at risk to help save the lives of others in some cases at its annual First Responders Appreciation Awards Dinner.
“This is, if you will, the best of the best,” said the lodge’s Exalted Ruler Art Adelman.
The lodge, which holds its meetings at the American Legion Hall in Armonk, recognizes police officers, firefighters and ambulance corps and EMS workers in its expansive territory, which stretches from Port Chester to Mount Kisco, because of the merger of the Port Chester, White Plains and Mount Kisco lodges years ago.
Honored last week were Lt. Kim Russell-Goldstein of the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department; Police Officers Peter Burns of the Pleasantville Police Department; paramedic Raul Pimentel of the Ossining EMS; the father-and-son team from the Hawthorne Fire Department of Beau and Michael Desimone; Detective Anthony Sabatella and Police Officer Steve Cunningham from North Castle; and Port Chester firefighter P.J. Cambriello. Departments within the Elks district can nominate their members for the recognition.
The Elks also posthumously honored Thornwood firefighter Sean Carroll, 26, who died early last Thanksgiving morning in a house fire at his parents’ home.
Carroll’s father, Rich, accepted the award as his voice at times cracked with emotion. He said that the honor will help his family get through the loss and the award will be seen by everybody when they rebuild their home.
“He loved volunteering, he loved everything that it brought, the camaraderie, whether it was at a parade, whether it was a fire…he loved making new friends and Sean made friends very easily,” said Rich Carroll, a Rye Brook police sergeant and a longtime Thornwood firefighter. “But he was an amazing young man and I hate that I have to not live with him anymore. It’s horrible.”
During the ceremony, Pleasantville Police Chief Erik Grutzner praised Burns for his quick thinking in saving a young man who was sitting on the edge of a bridge. He kept on approaching the distraught individual pretending he couldn’t hear him until he got close enough to haul him off the edge.
Speaking to Burns’ two young sons, Grutzner said that when their father isn’t home, he’s helping others.
“The next time that he’s not there, he’s late for a holiday or something else goes on, just know he’s out there doing these things that help people; not just help people with stuff but he’ll help people and save people’s lives,” he said.
County Legislator Margaret Cunzio (C-Mount Pleasant), a Thornwood volunteer firefighter, said regardless of the emergency service, first responders head out at any time of the day.
“Everybody in this room knows that when that pager goes off, (when) that call comes in, we never hesitate, we get up and we go,” Cunzio said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
