Ella Ilan

Why NBC4 NY’s Lynda Baquero is Proud to Call Northern Westchester Home

August 24, 2020 by Ella Ilan

The burbs got Baquero! Recovering close to six million dollars for consumers since 2013, our very own Northern Westchester resident Lynda Baquero and her “Better Get Baquero” team have brought much relief to aggrieved consumers. The talented NBC4 NY consumer reporter, Baquero, along with her husband and two teenage daughters relocated from Manhattan, where Baquero was born and raised, to our neck of the woods in 2015.

Reporter as Empathetic Investigator

With an ambitious pledge on their website to answer every call or email, the “Better Get Baquero” team seeks to help consumers who feel they have exhausted all means to resolve a consumer issue. Living up to their promise, all complaints submitted by the public are vetted by their Consumer Investigative Center, who after a thorough review and allowing companies ample time to respond, attempts to mediate and resolve the issue at hand. Even when there is no resolution, Baquero strives to provide a takeaway for her audience of a lesson that can be learned from someone’s experience.

Oftentimes, “people just want to be heard,” says Baquero, and after spending time on the phone flushing out their story, they may decide they got something out of it and prefer not to go on television. Sometimes after talking to Baquero and her team, they may realize the law is not on their side and then they learn something.

Baquero feels lucky in her role as consumer advocate. “What I love about this is that it’s really an opportunity to be involved directly with the viewer, and do something positive, rather than just reporting on a situation,” she says.

She has even “saved a few lives and resurrected some people,” says Baquero. A woman needing oxygen equipment was having an issue with her health insurance and literally running out of oxygen until Baquero and her team stepped in and called the insurer. “I can’t even explain how that feels…it’s very gratifying,” says Baquero. As far as resurrections, they have had several cases in which the social security administration has mistakenly declared someone dead and they have assisted these people in proving them to be alive.

Now, in the age of Covid-19, Baquero has provided essential information to her viewers about navigating our “new normal.” In recent segments, she has tackled applying for Paycheck Protection Program loans, obtaining mortgage relief, common mistakes made in unemployment applications, budget management, procuring refunds for canceled travel, and frequently asked questions for families during this crisis. She has provided vital information needed now more than ever.

Although back in the office now, Baquero quickly adjusted to covering stories based from home when New York State shut down in mid-March. Donning masks, utilizing boom microphones, and conducting interviews outdoors along with her cameraman, Baquero continued to work throughout the pandemic reporting mainly from Westchester and Fairfield counties.

The segment airs every weekday at 4:45 pm and Baquero also reports the consumer news of the day during the next news hour.

Baquero also hosts the weekly series Visiones which highlights issues that affect the Hispanic community by presenting informational and inspirational conversations with community leaders and newsmakers on arts, education and health. Visiones airs on Saturdays on Weekend Today in New York at 6:45 am.

A Career Born in High School

Baquero began cultivating her passion for investigative journalism as a young 12-year-old high school freshman. After winning a school competition involving producing a short newscast, Baquero “got the bug” and was drawn in by the opportunity to meet interesting people and have unique experiences. At 14-years-old, she had her own public access cable television show that aired on Paragon Cable and Manhattan Cable, the two cable outlets in Manhattan at that time. She did this for four years with her father as her cameraman, editor, lighting and technical director. Later, while attending New York University, she worked at Channel 47, now part of Telemundo, where she wrote and co-produced various Spanish-language specials. She then went on to work as an associate producer at WCAU-TV, Philadephia. Subsequently, at WCBS-TV, she worked her way up in the newsroom to associate producer of the consumer action segment Troubleshooter. Afterwards, she worked at the local cable news network, NY1 News, as anchor, consumer reporter, and video journalist responsible for researching, writing, shooting and editing her own stories.

Baquero joined NBC4 from NY1 and has been with NBC4 in a variety of prominent positions. She has co-anchored NBC 4’s Weekend Today in New York, “News 4 New York at 6 P.M. with David Ushery and “NewsChannel 4 at 6 P.M. with Chuck Scarborough. She has also served as host of the nationally broadcast business program, Hispanics Today.

The recipient of two Emmy Awards, Baquero received one in 1998 for “Religious Programming” for her coverage of the Pope’s visit to Cuba, and another in 2006 for “Best Evening Newscast” with Chuck Scarborough.

Discussing her inspiration, Baquero says she always looked up to Barbara Walters, who was a “no-nonsense, strong woman who was able to accomplish so much professionally and balance everything in her life.”

Striking a Balance

Baquero has managed to deftly balance it all, achieving professional excellence while creating a beautiful family. Television reporters are notorious for keeping odd hours and Baquero is no exception.

“We’re a 24-hour business, 365 days a year. I work holidays, late nights, and I’ve worked weekends for fifteen years. Thank goodness my husband is patient, wonderful and supportive. I can’t get to every family function or school production, but I knew that going in so I manage as best I can and take it as it comes.”

As far as being present for her daughters, Baquero admits it is challenging and she has to pick and choose her battles. “There are times I fight to leave work early to attend an event and other times I tell my daughter ‘I’m sorry I can’t make that concert but I promise I will be at the next one.’” To compensate, she has dedicated special days to each daughter to make them feel extra special and takes a “girls trip” with them every year.

Baquero is an inspirational role model for her daughters, showing them a real life example of how hard work can make one’s dreams a reality. “I hope they understand that if they set their minds to a goal and work hard, they can have choices and really shoot for the moon. I hope they realize perhaps what women like myself have gone through and what we’ve been able to do and they can do that and much more.”

As for the glamour, “I explain to them that not everyone has hair and makeup in their office. I love that they’re nonplussed and they know this is mom’s job, her passion, her way of helping other people, and something she had to work really hard for. I hope also that seeing me on television accepting an Emmy and then in my pajamas at home without makeup eating popcorn teaches them that people they see on the screen or on social media are presenting their public persona, but they are real people too,” says Baquero.

Choosing Westchester

Although a city girl at heart, Baquero has really embraced country living. She enjoys her large vegetable garden, frequents the farmers market, takes advantage of the hiking trails, and enrolls her daughters in horseback riding lessons.

When choosing the perfect locale in the suburbs, the Baqueros were drawn in by Northern Westchester’s top-notch schools, a major priority for them, the easy commute to the city, and the beauty and tranquility here.

“I’m so grateful we have the best of both worlds; the hustle and bustle of the city during the day and then we get to come home to this peaceful environment that still feels cosmopolitan with great restaurants and a very vibrant community.”

Baquero feels blessed to have ended up in this small community. As appreciative as she was with everyone’s warmth and neighborly reception when she first moved here, she truly felt the support of her neighbors throughout this Covid crisis. “Everyone reached out to see if we needed anything, if they could get us anything from the market, and just to check in on us.”

Baquero and her husband have made the best of the commute to the city. His interior design business, Richard A. Baquero Interior Design, is located close to her office. Driving together whenever they can, they use the time to catch up, make plans, and de-stress after a long day.

“He has been my biggest supporter, even with my crazy schedule. He is really my rock and we have fun together. People see us yapping at a restaurant and think ‘you’ve been together 29 years–what do you still have to talk about?’” laughs Baquero. “He’s my buddy.”

“We have been more grateful than ever for moving out here, even though we love and miss our city. We’ve been trying to do our part in helping the local restaurants through this pandemic by ordering out at least once a week and giving them some business. We were so happy to support our local hospital and frontline workers by donating to a meal train for the doctors. It feels really great to be part of such a small and caring community.”

Serving the greater community has always been important to Baquero. She serves on her local school board’s foundation and has also served on the Board of Directors of Let’s Get Ready, an educational non-profit. She has also worked with NBC and Telemundo on their Clear the Shelters pet adoption campaign, where they partner with shelters in the tri-state area to try and find forever homes for the pets. Close to home, she has reported live from Adopt-A-Dog in Armonk showing the available pets. This year, Clear the Shelters had a virtual campaign throughout the month of August to practice safe social distancing.

She has also worked with NBC on their annual Feeding Our Families community project, one of the largest multi-state food drives in the northeast that partners with food pantries and Stop and Shop supermarkets. Baquero has always made an appearance at the Stop and Shop in Mount Kisco to support this event. This year, food banks were particularly hit hard due to Covid, so NBC and Baquero’s efforts were crucial. To practice social distancing, the event was made into an online giving event, supporting nine tri-state food banks, including Feeding Westchester. Baquero promoted the event through social media.

Baquero is always “on the go.” Asked when she finally felt like “I’ve arrived,” she responds, “Never. Life is always about having the next goal or the next dream so I don’t take anything for granted. I’m grateful but I still think there’s more to do. I don’t know what’s ahead but I’m ready to take it on.”

Accessing Non-COVID Medical Care During the Time of Corona

May 14, 2020 by Ella Ilan

To go or not to go to the doctor? That is the question, although the evidence is mounting that avoiding medical care when you are sick is at best, foolhardy. Still, with the threat of COVID-19, the reports of overwhelmed hospitals, and the shutdown of elective surgeries and non-essential medical care, for many the thought of going to a doctor or emergency room can cause the toughest amongst us to break into a sweat.

A new poll from the American College of Emergency Physicians reveals 80 percent of adults say they are concerned about contracting Covid-19 from another patient or visitor if they need to go to the emergency room. The poll further reveals that 29 percent of adults have actively delayed or avoided seeking medical care due to these concerns. An article published yesterday on this site revealed that emergency room avoidance is a problem that has hit close to home, too, increasing the risk of life threatening conditions.

Michele Older, an Edgemont resident, had been trying so hard to avoid going to any doctors during this pandemic, but she had no alternative when her 17-year-old son had an anaphylactic allergic reaction on the evening of April 30th. She was advised by her pediatrician on the phone that despite administering an epi-pen to her son, she had to go to the emergency room. Although afraid, she drove in the pouring rain that night to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.

“It was very surreal,” recounts Older. “You couldn’t get into the hospital on your own, you had to knock on the emergency room door, and a nurse covered up in a hazmat suit came to the door and asked several times how old he was before they let me in with him.” Had he been 18 or older, Older would not have been permitted inside due to the stringent precautions all medical facilities are taking due to Covid.“They kept asking about his coughing, which had only started thirty minutes ago because of the allergic reaction, but you could tell they were fearful,” says Older. “Everyone was all masked up and seemed to be very careful and there were people going around cleaning constantly which was good. Everyone just seemed a little stressed, but very nice. It was not crowded and we had a private space. I wouldn’t avoid the hospital if I had another emergency.”

Proving the adage that when it rains it pours, within a week’s time, Older’s son required several other doctor visits unrelated to his allergic reaction. A growth in his nose that had developed after a surgery he had in February for an injury had suddenly become intolerable. Older had put off bringing him to a doctor because of the pandemic, but her son was now complaining that he could not breathe out of his right nostril. She was able to quickly secure an appointment with his ENT specialist, who performed an in-office procedure. Within that same week, Older had tele-health visits with her son’s allergist, his pediatrician, and his gastroenterologist for an unrelated issue. “The tele-health visits were great,” she says. “It normally takes weeks to see the gastroenterologist but we were able to set it up for the next day. He spent thirty minutes with us discussing some test results and I thought it was very convenient.”

The Doctors’ Perspective
Although non-essential in-person medical visits have been discouraged, patients who have possible cancer or abnormal studies have been able to be seen during this pandemic. Dr. Andrew Ashikari, a breast cancer surgeon at The Ashikari Breast Center at the Dobbs Ferry Pavilion of St. Johns Riverside Hospital and a longtime Chappaqua resident, tells his patients “if they are concerned about anything, especially swelling, a lump, or nipple discharge, they should see me regardless of the covid crisis.”

Dr. Ashikari has continued to see patients throughout the crisis since “with breast cancer, you really can’t do a breast exam with tele-health.” He has been seeing new diagnoses “but that slowed down a little because people aren’t getting mammography screenings since they were stopped due to covid. Most patients are coming in with palpable masses and then we are able to order diagnostic imaging.” Unfortunately “it has been a struggle” as many breast imagers were furloughed by radiology groups, but luckily for Dr. Ashikari and his patients, “they actually came in out of the goodness of their heart if I asked them that I needed something biopsied,” he explains.

As far as taking precautions, Dr. Ashikari’s office screens patients by taking their temperatures, making sure they have no cough, wearing masks, spacing people’s appointments out, and putting patients immediately into a room so there is never more than one patient in the waiting room. “I’ve kept my staff hired the whole time and none tested positive or developed antibodies, so we know we’ve been taking the right precautions,” he says.

Photo courtesy of Northeast Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine

Dr. Doron Ilan, an orthopaedic hand surgeon at Northeast Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in Westchester and Rockland Counties and an Armonk dad, has made adaptations to ensure patients get the care they need. “While non urgent surgeries have been postponed, patients with new or recurring injuries and conditions should not delay getting a good evaluation,” advises Dr. Ilan. “Patients continue to get hurt, suffer fractures, lacerations, ligament injuries, pinched nerves and we are here for them. We have instituted a number of options for our patients including telemedicine visits, in-person visits and orthopaedic urgent care where we can see you virtually or in-person the same day in most cases.”

Dr. Ilan’s office has taken numerous steps to keep their offices safe by instituting strict guidelines “including sanitizing each room before every patient, requiring face masks for all staff and patients, pre-screening patients for any illness, social distancing via spacing out visits and online check-in. In partnership with our stand alone surgery centers and outpatient hospital units we have been able to provide our patients with a safe environment to have urgent surgery and we expect to be cleared to do elective surgery in the near future,” he assures.

Dr. Richard Stumacher, Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care at Northern Westchester Hospital and an Armonk dad, says he has “seen the fear” but people should not avoid getting the care that they need. “For people whose concerns or complaints can wait or can be taken care of by telehealth, it’s ok for them to avoid the ER and instead call their doctor and arrange a virtual visit. It is not ok for them to not see anyone,” advises Dr. Stumacher. But, as far as the people who needed to go to the hospital and did not go on time, “we’ve seen some challenging cases taking care of those who have been avoiding the hospital when they shouldn’t.”

“The truth is,” says Dr. Stumacher,” that now that we’re way beyond the surge and the numbers are coming down, there should be no excuse for anyone not to either contact their doctor, have a virtual visit, go to an office, or even an ER. The harm that they could be doing themselves by continuing to wait can put them at a greater risk than the risk for getting covid, as long as everyone is following proper procedures, wearing masks, and sterilizing everything. Our intervention has proven to be really successful and nobody is currently catching covid from anybody in our hospital.“

Patients’ Challenges
To reduce the risk of exposure, hospitals and doctors’ offices in New York have instituted policies throughout this crisis of only allowing adult patients into their facilities without family members or companions. While most patients understand the rationale behind these rules, it has been difficult for some since having a trusted companion can help ease anxiety over a medical procedure.

“I completely understand why it has to be this way,” says one Armonk mother battling breast cancer, “but it doesn’t stop me from being terrified when I’m dropped off alone to have surgery or when I have to go in for my chemo treatments. Even surrounded by amazing top-notch nurses and doctors, it’s hard to brave it all without your spouse.”

When an in-person visit can be avoided, however, most patients have been opting to delay a visit or take advantage of tele-health. Jennifer Kalapoutis, an Irvington resident, says that one of her daughters has not been getting her routine allergy shots because the allergist is not offering them right now and her other daughter is not going in to her orthodontist to fix a broken bracket in her braces.

“The orthodontist said he would see her if it was causing her pain, but he doesn’t recommend coming in otherwise,” says Kalapoutis. “I don’t want her to be seen. I don’t want to be exposed and I don’t want to expose anyone else.”

Victoria Assa, a Scarsdale resident, was very satisfied with her recent tele-health experience. In lieu of an in-person appointment with her daughter’s endocrinologist who manages her Type 1 diabetes, she scheduled a tele-visit. ”It went very smoothly,” says Assa, “and because of the advanced technology of her pump and her continuous glucose monitor, it was a very seamless appointment because all of the data was sent through the cloud and available to the doctor on her computer. “

Still, the public remains cautious and sub-consciously, many of us are being just a little more careful in our daily lives. Echoing a popular sentiment of many people over the last few months, Assa admits “I’m always thinking don’t take any risks because I don’t want to end up in an E.R.”

Byram Hills Senior Raises Awareness of Autism

March 22, 2020 by Ella Ilan

Elena, Morgan, Reese and Danny PHOTO by Cathy Pinsky

While many high school seniors were swamped with college applications this past fall, Byram Hills Senior Reese Tateo was no exception but she was also busy organizing the first-ever Armonk for Autism 5K race in downtown Armonk. Tateo organized the event along with her parents, Elena and Danny Tateo. Spurred by their love for Reese’s younger brother, Morgan, who has autism, the Tateos hoped to raise autism awareness in the community and raise money for the Byram Hills Special Education Department.

Support from Family and Friends

Despite it being a rainy day, about 130 people came to show their support on October 27, 2019 and the Tateos raised over $11,000. Although some registrants stayed home due to the weather, it was still a healthy turnout for their inaugural event.

“In the end, I think the rain added to it because everyone who came was there because they really wanted to support us and not because they were going out for a nice run in great weather,” reflects mom Elena Tateo.

The entire event was full of touching moments. Friends and family pitched in wherever they could, whether unloading bananas or giving out t-shirts. The Tateos met other families with autistic children and people outside of Armonk who have children with autism thanked them via email or donated five dollars to show support. They were delighted to see so many members of the community including Morgan’s classmates, his teacher, his Occupational Therapist, the Byram Hills Director of Special Services Jill Boynton, the Byram Hills Athletic Director Rob Castagna, and the high school football team.

Local businesses such as Hickory & Tweed, Mt. Kisco Seafood, Tazza, and Breezemont Day Camp also offered their support by sponsoring the race. Additional sponsors were featured on their website at armonkforautism.org. Also, a multitude of volunteers donors, plus the town made the race possible.

One of the most memorable moments came at the very end. It was raining hard, water was dripping through the tent, people were clearing out, and Elena was announcing the winners, trying to read their names off a wet paper. Suddenly, they heard there was still a runner out on the road. It was a teenage girl with autism running with her father and brother. The Tateos corralled everyone back to the finish line and everyone enthusiastically obliged. “Everyone was cheering for her in the pouring rain,” recalls Reese. “It was amazing. I just viewed that as a symbol of what we were there for. We got everyone to come back and cheer and she was so happy.”

Miguel, Diego, Miguel Heredia (their dad) and Danny Tateo

An Idea Blossoms into Tangible Results

Reese’s idea to organize a run came to her after watching her father, an avid runner, participate in many races over the years.

“I noticed how many people would run for a cause so I thought it would be great to do it for autism,” Reese says. Danny Tateo has run to support other causes in the past in addition to wearing a shirt at some races with a picture of Morgan that says “I run for my son.”

To tackle the logistics of planning a race, the Tateos sought advice from the organizers of the annual Stayin’ Alive 5K which supports the First Responders of Northern Westchester, and the organizers of Jamie’s 5k Run for Love, in memory of Jamie Love and benefitting the Friends of the North Castle Library.

Reese and her dad chose the course. “We drove with a GPS watch and went on so many different courses planning 3.1 miles,” says Reese.

After consulting with Superintendent Jen Lamia, HC Crittenden Principal Kim Lapple, and Director of Special Services Jill Boynton, the Tateos donated the money towards a kitchenette for the special needs students at the middle school and a greenhouse at the high school. The Tateos were excited to provide something tangible that can help foster independence for Morgan and others like him. The kitchenette is useful in teaching daily life skills and the greenhouse allows the students to learn agricultural skills, job skills, and marketing by growing plants and selling them.

Living with Autism

April is World Autism Month and several communities are having wear blue campaigns or are lighting up town monuments blue to raise awareness of autism. The CDC defines autism as a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. The CDC found in 2018 that approximately 1 in 59 children in the US is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

Living with a brother with autism has given Reese a special perspective. Morgan was diagnosed at a very young age so Reese never really knew a brother without autism. “I just grew up with autism. People ask me if it’s weird but I know no differently,” explains Reese. “I would watch him a lot while my parents were at work and couldn’t go to many after-school activities because I had to come home and look after him. That was different than a lot of people’s lives but he’s my brother and I love him.”

“She’s the best big sister you can ask for,” says Elena. “Morgan is smart and has a funny sense of humor. His biggest challenges are language and communication. We were excited about doing the race in our community because Morgan has become more integrated in the middle school than he was in the lower schools and we’ve noticed his peers be so accepting of him, which is amazing. He does track at school and even participated in the 1.5 mile loop at the race.”

Reese passionately reminds us, “if you see a kid that’s not socially outgoing or looks uncomfortable, reach out and be nice to them and don’t look down on them for not knowing how to act or speak.”

“It’s important for parents to always strongly advocate for their children and it’s an ongoing life-long process,” says Elena. “Parents need to network, educate themselves about what their children need, and think about planning for the future early on. We also have to remember to be inclusive, be kind, and recognize that everyone counts. I love Temple Grandin’s quote about being “different, not less.” I think that is how our society should consider all people, with or without a disability.”

Reese and her dad have already started planning for next year’s race. “We have to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves,” says Danny.

For more information, visit www.armonkforautism.org or for race-specific questions email reesetateto@armonkforautism.org.

Our Volunteer Firefighters – Tradition, Sacrifice, and Rewards

February 22, 2020 by Ella Ilan

PHOTOS BY DONNA MUELLER

While we sleep soundly in the night, pagers go off and rouse the best and bravest amongst us. Answering the call of the horn, whether at 3 a.m. or 3 p.m., our volunteer firefighters step away from their daily lives to help their fellow citizens.

“I don’t think I’ve ever encountered someone on an emergency call that wasn’t happy to see us,” says Briarcliff Volunteer Fire Department First Assistant Chief Vincent Caruso, a 13-year member of the Briarcliff Fire Department. “It’s a great feeling when people see you and feel that help is here.”

Driven to Serve the Community

The Briarcliff Fire Department, The Ossining Fire Department, and The Pleasantville Fire Department are all 100% volunteer.

For some members, it’s in their blood and they are following in the footsteps of fathers and grandfathers.

“It’s our family tradition,” says Ossining Firefighter Rob Reaman of Rescue 14. “My grandfather was an ex-captain out of Chappaqua out of The J.I.D. [Bristol Engine Company], my uncle was an ex-captain out of Columbia Hose [Company] in Sleepy Hollow, my mom was president of Rescue 14 in Ossining, my father pretty much served everything and was in Cataract Hose [Company] for 28 years on Waller Avenue and then came back to Rescue 14 for about seven years now.”

Pleasantville Fire Chief Stephane Zapletal always had an interest in the fire department and joined as a teenager 19 years ago. “I’m a first generation firefighter but my wife’s family has four generations of firefighters and she’s the captain of the Pleasantville Ambulance Corps.”

Some members join after serving in a junior firefighter program during high school and others decide later in life that they want to give back to the community in this way.

Briarcliff’s Chief Caruso began his career working on the Volunteer Ambulance in high school. Finding it to be both noble and exciting work, he joined the Briarcliff Fire Department ambulance in 2006. “I planned on just riding as an EMT but soon found that I can be a fireman too. I did the training, got bit by the fire bug, worked my way up and it’s been a pleasure leading the group.”

Briarcliff’s Second Assistant Chief Arie Uyterlinde joined eleven years ago. After participating in a new employee orientation at Montefiore Medical Center geared towards caregivers, he was struck by the value of what these caregivers were delivering to patients. “As a corporate employee, this appealed to me and I wanted to contribute and have a positive impact on people’s lives. I saw signs up for volunteers just at the right time and decided to join. It’s really been a life changing experience.”

Pleasantville Fire Commissioner Dan Cultice joined in his forties. “I have a business in town and I wanted to give back to the community. It’s been very rewarding.”

The Challenge of Recruitment

All three departments struggle with the need for more volunteers. These departments were started when this area consisted of a primarily blue-collar population. This meant people stayed locally for work and were thus far more available to respond to calls than they are today. “With a good deal of our residents commuting to work in the city and not getting back until the evening, it can take double the number of members to cover the same amount of calls as it took when residents worked locally,” says Uyterlinde. “We need more members to ensure adequate coverage.”

“Anyone, no matter where you are, if you’re interested, go out and find your local fire department or EMS,” implores Caruso. “I don’t care where you live–I guarantee they need volunteers.”

“We will welcome and train anybody,” says Cultice. “I’m proud of our diversity. It’s a real melting pot. We have financial analysts from Wall Street, creative directors, architects, and blue-collar workers. We have men and women. It doesn’t matter if you don’t traditionally work with your hands.”

What It Takes

Interested candidates must be 18 years of age, have a clean record, and live or work in or near the town for which they volunteer. Recruits are trained in-house in the ways their particular department functions. Westchester County provides more substantial training that is required of all interior firefighters through the “Firefighter 1” training program at the Fire Training Center located in Valhalla. Interior firefighters can go into a burning building to extinguish fires or rescue victims. Some volunteers choose to help out as exterior firefighters whereas they can help out at the scene of an event but not go inside a burning building.

Firefighters undergo annual health screenings and occasionally physicians will limit someone’s active ability.

“Generally, people understand their own limitations and may dial back their functions on their own, if necessary,” says Uyterlinde. “Older members sometimes grow into more of a mentor role as opposed to a doer themselves. There’s a real tradition of having a lot of respect for your senior members because of the experience they bring to the table.”

“We have more than a handful of guys, each with 50 plus years of experience, and I regularly go to them for advice,” says Pleasantville’s Chief Zapletal.

Fearless Firefighters

All of the firefighters interviewed explained that they generally felt excited, rather than scared, upon getting a call. “You definitely get an adrenaline rush because it’s your job to start thinking ahead about what could be happening, what tools you’ll need, and what team you have that showed up at the fire house,” says Cultice. “We have a short amount of time to make the right decisions but we’re not scared because we’re well-trained and you know the firefighter next to you is going to have your back.”

Unforgettable Moments

Many of the departments’ calls leave indelible images in the firefighters’ minds that they cannot reveal to the public, because sharing them would be insensitive to the victims involved.

The interesting ones, however, are fun to share. Uyterlinde recalls a Christmas eve call where the police and fire department were called to investigate a self-combusting package. A package that had been received a week earlier and had been sitting on a living room floor started smoking. The homeowner brought it outside where it proceeded to catch fire. Although firefighters expected to find a battery or explosive within the package, it merely contained a purse. The Cause and Origin team reconstructed the scene and determined that sunlight coming through a window was concentrated by a snow globe that had been moved near the package onto a small piece of the box. This burned a hole through the box, caught the paper packaging inside the box on fire, and then proceeded to burn from inside the box out.

Zapletal recalls a fire where the hose supplying water was laid across the road and a car ran over it, bursting the hose and causing the water pressure to rip the hood off the car.

Relating some of his more enjoyable memories, Cultice recounts what it’s like to be one of the moms and dads running into the high school as a firefighter when an alarm goes off in one of the chemistry classes. “It’s always memorable when you see people in the community,” he says.

A Continuing Legacy

Each of the fire departments has a true appreciation for its history.

The Ossining Fire Department’s history stretches back farthest. As Westchester County’s first volunteer fire company, Washington Engine company was organized in Sing Sing in 1812. They purchased a gooseneck hand engine originally owned by the first organized fire company of New York City known as Engine No. 1. Today, the department boasts nine companies that operate six Engines, two Ladders, one Rescue Truck, one R.I.T. Truck, and one Spill Response Trailer. These nine companies were gradually added over the years to keep up with the growing population.

The Pleasantville Fire Department celebrated their 125th anniversary last year with a big party. When William H. Jahne organized the Pleasantville fire department in 1894, there were no streets, paved roads, municipal water, or sewer. The members used buckets of water to extinguish fires. Today, Pleasantville has four senior companies, a junior corps, and an auxiliary.

Just a few years later, in 1901, Frederick Messinger and a group of 13 other local men founded Briarcliff Steamer Company No.1. Briarcliff Steamer Company is no longer in existence, but there are currently three active companies; Briarcliff Fire Engine Company, Briarcliff Fire Hook and Ladder Company, and Scarborough Engine Company, which was formed to improve fire protection in the west part of the village.

As a nod to their storied history, Briarcliff is one of the only departments in the area that runs white apparatus, as opposed to red. The trucks are white to memorialize the white horse-drawn dairy carts donated by Walter Law, the “Laird of Briarcliff Manor,” who owned a large portion of this area, to be used as fire apparatus.

Proudly affixed to the Briarcliff fire trucks are the antique bells that are handed down from truck to truck. Ensuring that the legacy lives on, every time they buy a new truck, the department makes sure to specify a custom mount to hold a 100-year old bell.

Neighboring Departments Support Each Other

“We have a great relationship with our surrounding volunteer departments,” says Cultice. “If there is a large incident, we will ask other departments to join us. We will provide back up to our neighboring departments at a fire or go to their firehouse in case they get another call. We work together, train together and invite them to our firehouse for large events. I’m very proud of that kind of organization and camaraderie.”

For more information or to volunteer, please head to the fire department’s websites. For Briarcliff, go to www.bmfd.org. For Ossining, go to www.ossiningfire.org. For Pleasantville, go to www.pleasantvillefire.org.

Love at the Engine Company

February 22, 2020 by Ella Ilan

When Debra Johnson (“Debbie”) walked into the Briarcliff Volunteer Fire Department with her friend Rachel Leihbacher in August 1982 intending to join as the first female members, William Johnson (“Bill”) didn’t think much of it. They sat down next to him and he talked to them. Soon, chaos ensued amongst members determined to keep these women out of the all-male company. Two men quit because of the perceived intrusion but the women underwent training and quickly proved to be valuable members of the department, running into burning buildings and taking every call they could.

Bill and Debbie became great friends going on calls together and seeing each other at meetings and drills. “I would look forward to seeing her on those calls,” remembers Bill. “By the annual dinner dance in May of 1983, we were dating. We married seven years later.”

Both born and bred in Briarcliff, they only got to know each other when they both joined the fire department. For Bill, a Westchester County police detective, serving the community was in his blood. Both his father Arthur Johnson Jr. and grandfather Arthur Johnson were Briarcliff police chiefs and firefighters. His grandfather’s brother Buck Johnson was the fire chief and his grandfather’s brother Charles Johnson was killed in the line of duty with the Briarcliff police department in 1927.

“My husband is the most amazing man in my life and such a rock star,” says Debbie. “He’s by my side for everything we’ve endured and he’s always doing for me.”

Debbie recently retired from nursing after 36 years at Northern Westchester Hospital, but remains an active volunteer in addition to her private duty nursing work. “I just love making a difference. The fire department gives me a sense of accomplishment and I love going to car accidents and helping the victims out.”

They often respond to calls together. When their two kids were young, they would swap off or Debbie’s mother would watch the kids.

One of Bill’s worst experiences was responding to an accident in the middle of the night while Debbie was working at the hospital and discovering that it was Debbie’s brother, badly injured, in the accident. He remembers showing up at the hospital to tell Debbie.

The couple has seen a lot of tragedy together, particularly in car accidents, and it helps that they can talk about it with each other.

These days, Bill keeps an extra eye out for Debbie when they’re at the scene of an accident. “Responding to auto accidents is not safe. EMS has been hit on calls because of distracted driving,” he says.

It’s pretty clear to me, however, that he always has his eye on his beloved.