2 EMTs honored for saving family of 5 from Ronkonkoma house fire
RONKONKOMA, New York (WABC) -- The EMTs who helped save a family from a house fire were honored on Long Island.
The fire broke out on Chestnut Avenue in Ronkonkoma a few weeks ago.
Two Catholic Health EMTs, Semih Yaylacicegi and Ryan Pappas, were transporting a patient home from the hospital when they noticed smoke and flames coming from inside the house.
The patient's son, Amit Shah, says his father's attic air-conditioning unit caught fire.
The EMTs immediately got all five people out of the home, called the fire department and moved their ambulance to make room for arriving fire trucks.
On Wednesday, Shah joined Catholic Health officials as the EMTs received the EMS Medical Director's Award for Clinical Excellence.
Pappas explained how a routine drop-off quickly turned into an emergency.
"Everybody get out of the house! The house is on fire," Pappas said. "I made sure everyone was out. There was an elderly woman there, there was a child there, I made sure they got out OK, and I'm just happy I was there."
Pappas said he doesn't consider himself a hero, but said he was honored to receive the recognition.
The family says they don't know what would have happened if the EMTs had not been there at the right moment.
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