7 hospitalized after Island Park nursing home fire

Cutting through thick black smoke and fending off scorching heat, the six Nassau police officers and an army of firefighters were short on time as they raced up stairs to rescue residents of an Island Park nursing home from an early morning fire.

"We're picking them up and putting them in a wheelchair, taking them to safe locations," said Officer Anthony Badolato, 35, of the Fourth Precinct. "Pushing whole beds down the hall and into a clear area. The smoke was very thick. You couldn't even see in front of your face."

The fast-moving blaze at Bayview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Long Beach Road sent six Nassau County police officers and one resident to hospitals, police and fire officials said.

The officers all were taken to South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside suffering from smoke inhalation, Island Park Fire Department Chief Edward Madden said.

The resident, a man, was in the "room of origin" of the fire, Madden said. He was taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow with burns on his lower legs. Police said he was in stable condition at NUMC.

Police said the call reporting the fire came in at 2:55 a.m.

"As I drove up, I could see the black smoke coming from the windows," said Officer Jamal Ramos. "There was a fire truck and there were three firemen suiting up. We went with the firemen up the stairs. We could smell the smoke as we went up the stairs to the third floor."

Officer Jason Carey, 32, said, "We immediately started heading to where the fire was. "Everybody there is in bad shape. There's no one there on their own."

Madden said the fire was contained to one room on the third floor of the three-floor facility on Long Beach Road. He said the officers, who were the first responders, did "a bang-up job" moving patients to safety. He said a sprinkler system and fire doors also helped prevent the spread of the fire.

"Everything that was supposed to have worked worked and prevented the spread of fire from the room of origin."

All told, Madden said, about four dozen residents were moved from the third floor to other areas of the building.

Three employees were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, but all declined transport to hospitals, police said.

The other three officers who participated in the rescue were Carlos Godinho, Robert Garofalo and Anthony Vaccaro.

About 125 firefighters were on the scene, Madden said, with volunteers from Island Park, Long Beach, Oceanside, Baldwin, Freeport, Lawrence-Cedarhurst, Rockville Centre and East Rockaway responding.

The fire marshal's office and Arson/Bomb Squad detectives are investigating the cause of the fire, officials said.

With Jennifer Barrios and Zachary R. Dowdy