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New York City Fire Department (FDNY)

On Monday evening, Probationary Firefighter Lawrence J. Wasser of Ladder 82 was seriously injured in the line of duty at a house on Staten Island, when he fell through the hole in the picture shown here, and landed in the flame-filled basement below. FDNY Fire Marshals have determined this was an accidental electrical fire, originating in the basement.

New York City Fire Department (FDNY)

4 hrs

The FDNY sends our best wishes for a speedy recovery to 23-year-old Probationary Firefighter Lawrence J. Wasser of Ladder 82, who was seriously injured in the line of duty fighting a 3rd alarm house fire on Staten Island Monday evening. While operating inside the home, the supportive beams on the first floor collapsed as a result of heavy fire conditions, causing Firefighter Wasser to fall through the floor and into the flame-filled basement below. Firefighter Wasser suffered serious burns to both his hands and is recovering at Staten Island University Hospital.

Firefighter Wasser is a Staten Island resident, and graduated from the FDNY Fire Academy in November 2015.

New York City Fire Department (FDNY) added 2 new photos.

January 30 at 2:05pm

"When we arrived there were 4 workers dangling off scaffolding that had partially collapsed. One of the cables used to secure the scaffolding was tied to the parapet of the building. When that gave way, it forced the middle of the scaffolding to collapse. The four of them were wearing their harnesses, but they weren't getting down on their own," said Lt. Bill Caffrey, of FDNY Ladder Company 36, who along with Firefighters Greg Richards, Robert Cruz, Otniel Calderon, William M...

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Thomas Gallagher Rather than being concerned about blowing your own horn and what big heroes you are to save these four lives, did anyone take note of how shoddily that scaffold was erected and wonder why it would collapse in the center, unusual to say the least if bei...See More

LikeReply3January 31 at 11:02am

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David Dutt Well done, Gentlemen of Ladder 36. And THANK GOD those workmen had redundant safety systems, otherwise this could have had a very bad ending.

LikeReply8January 30 at 2:53pmEdited

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New York City Fire Department (FDNY) added 3 new photos.

January 30 at 12:52pm

“It is a tragic fact in our profession – this job is, was, and always will be a dangerous one. But this day we remember 11 years later stands out, and it always will. The Bellew, Meyran, Dibernardo and Sclafani families lost great men. Firehouses lost extraordinary Firefighters. We all shared in the pain. As I look around this room, I see many of you who knew our fallen brothers well. You worked with them, you fought beside them, you laughed with them and you cared for them a...