The early morning of Jan. 16 was the coldest in the NY area since records have been kept. As the clock struck 4:30 a.m., most of the Village of Plandome was fast asleep, probably bundled in comforters to stay extra warm. At that moment pagers crackled to life in the homes of the almost 90 members of the Plandome Fire Department "... a basement fire at 20 Rockwood West." This house is one of the oldest homes in the village.

If ever there was an instant wake up call, that was it. On the scale of possibilities, a basement fire at 4:30 a.m. when the temperature outside is about 2 degrees and the wind chill is in the -30 range is almost as bad as it gets.

Chief Frank Capone arrived at the scene where he found Firefighter Tim Finnerty evacuating the residents. Two of the residents were disabled and needed his assistance to leave the building. Firefighter Finney lives across the street and made every effort to insure the safety of his neighbors. Chief Capone conducted a size-up, established a Command Post in the front of the building and immediately called for a LILCO crew in case the utilities needed to be cut off.

The first due engine, unit 842, is the department's latest apparatus, capable of pumping 1500 gallons of water per minute if necessary. Several firefighters established a connection to a nearby hydrant while a team of officers and firefighters grabbed a hose line and headed for the rear of the building where there was an outside entrance to the basement.

A few minutes later engine 841 arrived carrying additional firefighters and equipment. This engine can pump over 1000 gallons per minute and secured a spot by a second fire hydrant. Mayor and Ex Chief Scott Wilson who rode shotgun on this pumper worked with all engineers to ensure a steady flow of water was available from both trucks.

Captain Rick Buhr and 2nd Lt. Peter Burger forced the door and located the fire, which was immediately to their right. Lt. Burger and firefighters Chris Moen and Paul Becker quickly moved the hose line into position and put "the wet stuff on the red stuff" thereby knocking down the fire. 2nd Deputy Chief Ned Peyser took operational control of the rear exposure, while Ex-Chief Sheerin monitored Safety/Accountability.

At this point, the fire appeared out but the work was just beginning. The basement was hot and smoke-filled, and the house was older and built with "balloon construction," meaning there was a risk that the fire could have extended up the outer walls into the attic or roof. The outside temperature was still about 2 degrees.

Plandome is fortunate to have two state-of-the-art infrared imaging devices, and these were put to good use in painstakingly searching the house for any remaining "hot spots." The units are so sensitive that the location of the hot water radiators was apparent from outside the house. Plandome was one of the first departments on Long Island to employ these state of the art imaging devices. While the searches were being conducted, an overhaul team led by 2nd Lt. Ed Henderson grabbed an exhaust fan and vented the smoke from the basement.

In case the fire reappeared, the engineers kept water flowing (and off the street). Water stubbornly refuses to remain liquid when the temperature reaches single digits and even 1.5-inch and 3-inch hose lines are not immune.

The LILCO crew examined the boiler and pronounced it unaffected by the fire, and the department used a carbon monoxide detector to check that the basement was clear before the chief allowed the residents to re-enter their home.

The hose was broken down and repacked with care. The hydrant had grown icicles but had provided all the water needed to extinguish the fire.

A Plandome highway truck appeared at 6 a.m. with Steve Flynn, village employee and member of Manhasset Lakeville FD, at the wheel to sand the road (it's impossible to keep all the water off the road and ice was sure to be the result) so the engines would not have any problems leaving the scene.

The fire had been stopped cold and smoke/water damage was confined to the basement. No one was injured and property damage was minimal, a testament to the long hours of training and preparation put in by the members of the department. No one even complained about the weather.

Over 30 members responded to this incident and everyone contributed to the result. They returned to the firehouse at 6:30 a.m. to change air bottles, stow their gear, and grab a quick cup of coffee before heading out to their "real" jobs, many in Manhattan. Ex-Chief John Blascovich who was heavily involved in this incident summed up everyone's reaction when he said, "We should be thankful to reside in a village with neighbors like these."