Walter Scott Medal

Firefighter Joseph M. Pigott Ladder Company 78

January 26, 2005, 2316 hours, Box 0071, 219 York Avenue, Staten Island

Appointed to the FDNY on February 5, 1995. Previously assigned to Engine 310. Father, FF Thomas Pigott, is retired from the Department; and brother, Captain Thomas Pigott, Jr., is assigned to Engine162. Member of the Columbia Association and Emerald Society. Attended St. John’s University. Received a unit citation and was named “Firefighter of the Month” in September 2005 by the Staten Island Advance. Resides in Staten Island with his wife, Judy, and their daughters, Samantha and Victoria, and son, Joseph, Jr.

January 26, 2005, had been a somber evening at the quarters of Ladder 78 and Engine 155. The Department recently had lost three Brothers and several more were in critical condition from tragic fires in the Bronx and Brooklyn. With a funeral the next day, they were acutely aware of the dangers that fire can pose, but that didn’t stop them from swiftly responding to every call. The recent snowstorm had blanketed the City with a foot of snow, which made responding a little more difficult.

At 2316 hours, the tone sounded and the computer rattled out a report of a fire at 219 York Avenue on the North Shore of Staten Island, just a few blocks from the firehouse. As both companies grabbed their gear and responded to the alarm, the dispatcher informed them he had received reports of an occupant trapped on the second floor of the three-story multiple dwelling.
As they pulled up in front of the fire building, FF Joseph Pigott, Ladder 78, saw flames lapping out of the second-floor windows in the front. He knew that as part of the forcible entry team, it was their responsibility to find and rescue the man trapped in this inferno.

A man ran up to the Firefighters as they raced into the building and screamed that the man was trapped in the living room. While Engine 155 started to stretch a hose over the snow-covered terrain, FFs Pigott and Thomas Donovan followed Captain John R. Graziano into the inferno.

As they climbed the stairs into the flames swirling around the apartment, they were armed with only a fire extinguisher can carried by FF Donovan. Captain Graziano directed him to use the can to knock down the flames as much as possible to allow for a quick search. Outgunned by the fire, FF Donovan still was able to push back the flames enough to help the other members locate the victim.

As Captain Graziano searched in the living room area, FF Pigott crawled past the flames lapping above and made his way to the rear bedroom. Once in the bedroom and protected from the flames by a wall, the Firefighter was able to locate 38-year-old Thomas Marshall in a corner. Already burned over most of his body, Mr. Marshall had sought refuge from the flames before lapsing into unconsciousness.

FF Pigott quickly transmitted a code 10-45 to let everyone know he had located the victim. He realized that Mr. Marshall was severely burned and that it was essential to get him to a hospital quickly. He knew this meant entering the fire area again and he steeled himself for the task.

With the additional burden of carrying the victim, FF Pigott again crawled past the fire area, where he was met by FF Donovan, who helped in removing Mr. Marshall to safety. FF Peter Hyde, Ladder 78, also helped carry the victim down the stairs. As the members of Engine 155 moved in with a charged line and began to extinguish the blaze on the second floor, FFs Pigott, Hyde and Donovan administered CPR and rescue breathing on the victim on the first floor until the arrival of EMS.

EMS personnel continued to work on Mr. Marshall as they transported him to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where he was admitted in critical condition. Despite FF Pigott’s heroic efforts and the best efforts of the medical personnel, Mr. Marshall lost a two-week-long struggle for his life.

For his bravery in entering the fire area to find the victim and his tremendous efforts in his removal under adverse conditions, the Fire Department is proud to award the Walter Scott Medal to FF Joseph Michael Pigott.--JT

Addendum: FF Joseph Pigott’s grandfather, also Joseph Michael Pigott, won the Walter Scott Medal as a member of the NYPD in 1939 (presented at the World’s Fair) for his heroic efforts in January of 1938.

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