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Hero guards help save nun from convent fire
Off-duty firefighters sprang into action at Daughters of Wisdom residence in PJ
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Two St. Charles Hospital security guards risked their lives Jan. 11 to rescue a nun from a fire at the Daughters of Wisdom convent on the grounds of the Port Jefferson hospital.
Thomas Connors of Islip Terrace and Eric Surbito of Lake Ronkonkoma arrived at the scene to find one of the sisters in front of the convent, which was partially engulfed in flames. Then they entered the burning building to rescue the second nun trapped on the second floor.
After knocking down the front door, which was locked from the inside, the guards were "hit by heavy smoke," according to Surbito, who is also a New York City firefighter. Even though he was trained to get low and crawl in such situations, the smoke prevented him from doing so, he said. This rescue was also unlike any other, he added, because he didn't have the proper equipment or gear.
"We couldn't see our hands in front of our faces" due to the heavy smoke, said Connors, a retired New York City police officer who is also a volunteer firefighter for the Islip Terrace Fire Department. The sister, who was sleeping in her room when the fire started, "was calling to us, 'Help me, I'm upstairs. Help me,'" he recalled, crediting the intense training provided by the fire department for enabling the guards to work together before firefighters from the Port Jefferson and Terryville fire departments arrived.
Connors, however, added that he has "mixed feelings" about having the opportunity to utilize his skills because even though he was excited to put his training to the test, he wouldn't want anyone to experience that terrible scenario.
After reaching the top of the stairs, Surbito was able to open a window for fresh air, which according to Connors, was a "blessing" because he didn't want to become "another victim for the fire department." Even though the rescue took only about five minutes, "it seems longer when you're in the moment," Surbito said. "Everybody just worked well together and everything fell into place."
Once the second sister was delivered safely from the burning building with assistance from two Port Jefferson assistant fire chiefs, Jim Makarius Jr. and Dave Williams, the two nuns were transported to Stony Brook University Medical Center. The sister who was upstairs remains in SBUMC's Critical Care Unit, according to St. Charles Hospital officials, while the other was released Jan. 14.
John Geary, director of security at St. Charles Hospital, said Connors and Surbito went "above and beyond" what is expected of any
individual. Geary said. "These weren't words, they were
actions."
According to the security director, who has been working in the Port Jefferson hospital since 1996, there are at least two dozen fire drills per year to prepare hospital employees for emergency
situations.
And while many have praised the brave actions of the security guards, Connors said, "It's just part of the job. ... We're just happy to be in the right spot at the right time to help someone."
"It's part of what we do," Surbito added. "Don't think of us as heroes. This is what we do."
Fighting the fire
The fire had been caused when a lighted candle accidentally ignited a Christmas decoration at the Daughters of Wisdom convent on the grounds of St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, according to a Suffolk police press release.
The Port Jefferson Fire Department, led by Chief Fred Leute, responded to an alarm from St. Charles Hospital security personnel and upon arriving, found one of the sisters standing in front of the convent, which was partially engulfed in flames. A second nun was rescued from the first floor, according to the police press release.
Both women were transported to Stony Brook University Medical Center where it was determined that their injuries did not appear to be life threatening.
Leute said hospital security guards Surbito and Connors entered the burning building and brought the nun to the bottom of the stairs where Port Jefferson Fire Department Chiefs Jim Makarius Jr. and Dave Williams removed her to safety.
The Terryville Fire Department ambulance and the Port Jefferson volunteer ambulance company transported the victims to the hospital.
Leute said the damage to an extension of the convent was "almost total," while the main body of the residence sustained "significant but repairable" damage.
Leute estimated a total of 85 volunteers responded to the scene, including about 45 from the Port Jefferson Fire Department. Terryville and Setauket Fire Departments assisted with firefighters and equipment, while Stony Brook FD covered the Port Jefferson district by stationing a fully staffed engine at the Maple Place firehouse.
D. Willinger contributed to this story.
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