Bay Ridge Community Council says thank you to cops, firefighters

May 4, 2016 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Police Officer Yuroslav Shvartsman (second from left) is congratulated by his commanding officer, Capt. Joseph Hayward, and Committee Co-Chair Jane Kelly, Council President Vincent Bocchino and Committee Co-Chair Irene Hanvey (left to right) at the awards presentation. Photo courtesy of the Bay Ridge Community Council

Police Officer Yuroslav Shvartsman (second from left) is congratulated by his commanding officer, Capt. Joseph Hayward, and Committee Co-Chair Jane Kelly, Council President Vincent Bocchino and Committee Co-Chair Irene Hanvey (left to right) at the awards presentation. Photo courtesy of the Bay Ridge Community Council

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New York’s Finest and Bravest took bows at a recent ceremony in Bay Ridge, where they were honored for their courage and community service.

The Bay Ridge Community Council (BRCC) held a Police and Fire Awards ceremony on April 26 to pay tribute to police from the 68th Precinct and firefighters assigned to a local firehouse, Ladder 109.

The BRCC, an umbrella organization made up of more than 75 grassroots groups in Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Fort Hamilton, hosts an awards ceremony each year to honor outstanding cops and firefighters serving the three neighborhoods.

At this year’s ceremony, held at the Norwegian Christian Home at 1250 67th St., Jane Kelly and Irene Hanvey, co-chairs of the BRCC’s Police and Fire Liaison Committee, announced the winners.

Firefighters Daniel Sini, Christopher Lorenzo, Ralph Taliento, Steven Ramhold and Danny Chen, of Ladder 109, were cited for their quick action in saving the life of a man trapped in a car following a serious accident.

The crash took place on the Gowanus Expressway near 66th Street on Jan. 7 at approximately 6:15 a.m. The multi-car pileup entangled four vehicles, leaving one man trapped in his car, Hanvey said.

The firefighters used the Jaws of Life to free the victim from the wreckage. The man was taken to the hospital and released the following day, Fire Department officials told the BRCC.

The NYPD was represented by Police Officer Yuroslav Shvartsman, who was cited for his dedication to duty. Shvartsman, who came to the 68th Precinct in July of 2008, was honored by the BRCC for making numerous arrests during his tenure at the Bay Ridge precinct, including drug busts and DWI arrests. He is a member of the precinct’s Anti-Crime officers.

Capt. Joseph Hayward, the precinct’s commanding officer, also praised Shvartsman and revealed at the awards ceremony that the cop has been nominated for a promotion to detective.

The BRCC also singled out Auxiliary Police Officer Abdelrahman Farag for praise. Farag joined the auxiliary force in September of 2014 and has logged more than 1,000 hours patrolling local streets, according to Hanvey.

Farag is currently a student at Kingsborough Community College and plans to attend John Jay College for Criminal Justice.

Hanvey, who said the ceremony was well attended, added that police and fire officials were also on hand to praise their men. “Capt. Joseph Hayward spoke at the event so proudly of his officers and Lt. Patrick Mitchell spoke about the rescue of Ladder 109. All the elected official representatives were there to present their certificates too,” she told the Brooklyn Eagle in an email.

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