Story & photos by  Ex Captain Steven Grogan & Firefighter Brian Grogan

On Sunday evening, June 28, 2009, at 6:18 PM, after a busy day competing in Lynbrook’s Invitational Old Fashion Tournament, the Rockville Centre Fire Department, soon after returning home, responded to an apartment house fire at the Mayfair Condos at 200 N. Village Avenue.  Upon the arrival of RVC’s chiefs, a Signal 10 was broadcast as fire was reportedly blowing out a third floor apartment window. 

The Lynbrook Fire Department, under the command of Chief Kevin Bien, was called on a mutual aid and Truck 427 and an ambulance from our Emergency Medical Company responded to the scene, as did additional ladders from Malverne, Lakeview, and South Hempstead.  Ex-Chief and Nassau County Fire Commission member Robert Cribbin, and Rich Straub, also assisted at the command post.  According to Vincent McManus, one of our own, and Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office division supervisor, stated in Newsday that three apartment units were heavily damaged by the fire.  Also according to the newspaper’s website, six persons, including a firefighter, suffered smoke inhalation.  It said that the fire was started in an apartment’s kitchen.  The fire is not considered suspicious.   Lynbrook was at the scene for about an hour and half.