Episode 55 - John Ceriello of New York talks Firefighting in NYC

John Ceriello lives in Brooklyn NY and is the Captain of the FDNY’s Rescue Company 1 – which is the department’s “rolling tool” kit, equipped with equipment necessary for “technical rescue” that might require getting through walls, lifting things and extractions – in Manhattan. He grew up on Long Island, where his father owned a service station, and became a FDNY firefighter in February 1988.

Our discussion covers, among other things:
*a routine day for his company, which includes a lot more than simply emergency responses
*hydrants and parking in NYC
*fire safety now compared to the late 1980s
*the kitchen as the #1 spot for fires and how to respond to grease fires: use baking soda or a dry fire extinguisher or the pot lid
*driving in NYC traffic during an emergency call
*the importance – for civilians – of closing doors to help limit fires

John finds hope in believing that the vast majority of people are good, even if there are bad times, there are good times on the other side and that struggle is part of life.