2012 was a busy year for New Rochelle’s professional fire fighters, who responded to over 8,000 emergencies (8,018), a 2.5 percent increase compared to 7,823 emergencies in 2011.

With the Christmas season upon us, families are rushing out to get fresh cut evergreens to place in their living rooms as Christmas trees.

On Tuesday, October 16, at 7 pm in New Rochelle, members of the Stamford, Connecticut Fire & Rescue Department will be honored by the Council of the City of New Rochelle for their outstanding feats of courage and heroism during the rescue of four New Rochelle residents. The presentation will take place in the Council Chambers, City Hall, at 515 North Avenue in New Rochelle.

In the late evening hours of July 22, 2012, Stamford Fire & Rescue responded to an overturned boat in Stamford Harbor, with two passengers clinging to the hull of the boat and two others trapped underwater in the boat’s cabin. Divers had to make their way through debris and an 18-inch-wide entrance to the cabin to reach them.

New Rochelle Fire Fighter Keith Morris died in the accident.

The resolution states, “This City Council extends its deepest gratitude and honor to all the participants in the in the heroic rescue.”

A fire raged through a Fiat car dealership early Wednesday morning in Larchmont, shutting down a key portion of Boston Post Road and destroying the car dealership.

The blaze required the efforts of dozens of fire fighters from Larchmont and the neighboring New Rochelle and Mamaroneck Fire Departments.

Fiat of Larchmont – which markets itself as “the original Fiat and Abarth dealer” – began selling the Italian made cars in 1961 and has become a fixture in the local community.

New Rochelle’s Engine 21 and Ladder 12 responded to the request for mutual aid.

“When a fire of this magnitude strikes in our own or a neighboring community and can wipe out a business and the livelihoods of all its employees, it is critical that fire fighters rapidly contain it,” explained Byron Gray, president of the New Rochelle Uniformed Fire Fighters Association. “In this situation, fire fighters encountered vehicles on the dealership lot, all of which contained highly flammable materials including motor oil, fuel, plastics, rubber, cloth and various petroleum based synthetics, which can all make vehicle fires extremely hot, toxic and difficult to extinguish.”