Honor Chief Brian Cook

Senate Resolution No. 1152 BY: Senator KAMINSKY COMMENDING Chief Brian Cook upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made significant contributions to the quality of life therein; and WHEREAS, From time to time this Legislative Body takes note of certain extraordinary individuals it wishes to recognize for their valued contributions to the success and progress of society and publicly acknowledge their endeavors which have enhanced the basic humanity among us all; and WHEREAS, The New York State Senate Liberty Medal was established by Resolution and is awarded to individuals who have merited special commendation for exceptional, heroic, or humanitarian acts on behalf of their fellow New Yorkers; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Chief Brian Cook of the Rockville Centre Fire Department upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate; and WHEREAS, Firefighters unwaveringly serve our great State with pride, valor, and integrity; these respected volunteers are often the first to respond to an emergency, whether the emergency is a fire, transportation accident, natural disaster, act of terrorism, medical crisis, or spill of hazardous materials; and WHEREAS, On numerous occasions Chief Brian Cook has heroically performed, above and beyond the call of duty, those responsibilities which define the task of fire protection; and WHEREAS, On April 17, 2016, Chief Brian Cook arrived on the scene of a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Long Beach Road and Lakeview Avenue; after being informed that the driver of one of the vehicles was in cardiac arrest, Chief Cook, assisted by additional members of the department, immediately began Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR); after the patient had been stabilized, he was transported to the hospital where he made a full recovery; and WHEREAS, On June 16, 2016, Chief Brian Cook was the first responder to arrive at an accident at the intersection of Sunrise Highway and N. Forest Avenue; once again, he used his skills to quickly evaluate and re-start the patient's heart, saving another person from certain death; and WHEREAS, For a third time, Chief Brian Cook was ready, willing and available to help save a person's life; on January 26, 2016, he and Firefighter/Paramedic Christopher Bossart diligently worked together to save a 53-year-old male who was suffering from cardiac arrest; Chief Cook performed CPR, and applied the AED, as well as ventilated the patient with a BVM while his partner started an IV and assisted with packing the patient for transport to the emergency department; through their combined efforts, the patient made a full recovery from this incident; and WHEREAS, It takes a special dedication, a strong desire to help others and a tireless sense of community to forsake precious time with family and friends to respond to the signal that a neighbor is in need; on many occasions, Chief Brian Cook has acted with bravery and steady precision in dealing with the risk and drama of emergency situations; and WHEREAS, Chief Brian Cook should be regarded as a true hero; he has continually devoted himself to public service, demonstrating great courage and diligence in providing for the care and welfare of the citizens of their communities and this great Empire State; and WHEREAS, Praised for maintaining his composure and his professional conduct, Chief Brian Cook demonstrated his true character and genuine compassion for the welfare of others; and WHEREAS, Within every community of the State of New York there are certain individuals who, by virtue of their commitment and dedication, command the respect and admiration of their community for their exemplary contributions and service on behalf of others; Chief Brian Cook is one such individual; and WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body that those dedicated public servants who unselfishly devote their lives to the preservation of order and the protection of others are worthy and due full praise for their commitment and noble endeavors; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Chief Brian Cook upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Chief Brian Cook.