NEW YORK — An off-duty FDNY EMT is being credited with rescuing residents from a burning home in Queens after spotting the fire from his own house, according to a post from the FDNY’s Facebook page.
On March 31, EMT Ryan O’Reilly was watching television at home in Queens when he smelled smoke and noticed a fire at a nearby house. O’Reilly ran to the house, where bystanders told him people were still inside.
| MORE: ‘I’m an EMT, I can help': Getting involved when off-duty
Without hesitation, O’Reilly entered the home and helped guide the occupants outside. He then found a woman downstairs and helped bring her to safety before the home became engulfed in flames.
The fire at 35 Van Brunt Road eventually grew into a three-alarm blaze.
In its Facebook post, the FDNY commended O’Reilly, who is assigned to Station 39, for his courage and selflessness, saying its members “answer the call no matter the time or the circumstance.”
