Private funerals for the Bridgeport FF’s will be held separately on Friday afternoon but calling hours for the public will be held on Thursday, July 29th for both Firefighters:
Lt. Steven Velazquez: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. at Klein Memorial Auditorium at 910 Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport.
FF Michel Baik: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Abriola Funeral Home at 419 White Plains Road in Trumbull.
FIREFIGHTER SERVICES:
NOTE: The Bridgeport Fallen Firefighters Fund is established to help support the Baik and Velasquez families. Those wishing to make a donation are asked to send it to the: Bridgeport Fire Department Employees Federal Credit Union, 3115 Madison Avenue, Bridgeport CT 06606, Attn: Bridgeport Fallen Firefighters Fund.The credit union can be reached by phone at 1.800.242.8120.
Rocky Mount Fire Chief (who was also Vice Mayor) Posey Dillon and veteran Firefighter / Ex-Chief Danny Altice were killed in the Line of Duty yesterday while responding on a fire call. The RMVFD was dispatched and responding to a working dwelling fire in nearby Union Hall when a car pulled out into the intersection. The car struck the rear of the fire apparatus, which then hit the curb on the other side of the road and flipped, landing on top of another car. The 2 Firefighters were the only ones on the apparatus.
Dillon had served on town council for 24 years, including 10 years as vice mayor, and was re-elected vice mayor by council earlier this month. He had been fire chief for 20 years. Altice joined the RMVFD in 1963 and served as Chief from 1977 to 1984. He was presented a lifetime achievement award by town council in 2008.
NYNJ PA Police arrested 56-year-old Sergey Byslayev, of Emmerson, N.J., on warrants for negligent homicide and criminal endangerment last Saturday. He was negligent when he crashed into 59-year-old FF Jerry Parrick’s pickup truck on Dec. 17, 2008. FF Parrick was warning drivers of a crash, and the documents say he was parked "nearly a foot" off the interstate’s driving lane. Parrick, a Firefighter for the West End Volunteer Fire Department in Mineral County, was in his truck with his emergency lights on when the semi slid and jackknifed on the snow-covered road. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
"We will get him back whatever it takes," the County Attorney said. "These charges were not filed lightly and this man needs to appear and answer them." An initial court appearance will take place as soon as Byslayev arrives in Mineral County. The County Attorney expressed thanks to the Port Authority of NY & NJ, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Montana Highway Patrol and the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office for their help in locating and arresting Byslayev.
