Honor Jeffrey Dupoux Heroism

Senate Resolution No. 608 BY: Senator KAMINSKY COMMENDING Jeffrey Dupoux 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 Jeffrey Dupoux of the Elmont Volunteer 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, On Wednesday, February 1, 2017, a young woman was driving east on the Long Island Expressway (LIE) near Exit 60 (Hawkins Avenue) in Ronkonkoma, New York, when her Ford Expedition collided with a National Grid truck at about 10:50 a.m.; the explosive impact caused the SUV to overturn causing a small fire to erupt in the engine; and WHEREAS, Fortuitously, Elmont Volunteer Firefighter, Jeffrey Dupoux and Highway Patrol Bureau Officer, Thomas Mutarelli were driving on the LIE at the time of the horrific accident; even though they were both off duty, they both pulled up to the crash in their own cars; and WHEREAS, Jeffrey Dupoux and the Officer quickly ran to the overturned vehicle, and immediately noticed that the woman driver's side door jam was crushed, and that her neck and head were bent onto the roof of the SUV; and WHEREAS, As they were attempting to free the frightened woman, the fire swiftly began to grow; Jeffrey Dupoux diligently worked to free her from her trappings, while the Officer ran to the other side of the vehicle and focused on getting her out of the vehicle; and WHEREAS, Fighting against the intense heat of the fiery blaze, Jeffrey Dupoux finally unleashed her seat belt and the Officer pulled her out of the passenger side window; and WHEREAS, Due to the spontaneous actions of two off-duty public servants, the driver of the SUV and the driver of the National Grid truck were taken to Stony Brook University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries; and WHEREAS, Jeffrey Dupoux 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 his community and this great Empire State; and WHEREAS, Praised for maintaining his composure and his professional conduct, Jeffrey Dupoux 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; Jeffrey Dupoux 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 commend Jeffrey Dupoux 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 Jeffrey Dupoux.