Low on Air

Even as Mr. Mills raced down the cellar stairs to join the search, Mr. Petrarca's colleagues from Ladder Co. 120 were heading back out?side, their own air supplies nearly exhausted.

A hose line at Mr. Mills's feet led down a hallway to where a team from Engine Co. 227 was attacking part of the blaze that had sent smoke billowing out several of the storefronts upstairs.

"I could hear all the guys to my left, and nothing to my right, so I went right," Mr. Mills recalled.

Alone, the 11-year Fire Department veteran plunged into the smoke-filled maze of rooms in search of the missing firefighter. He found Firefighter Petrarca where the rookie had collapsed face-down, his air mask askew, lying in a two-inch puddle of the water raining down from the overhead sprinklers.

Mayday and Out

Mr. Petrarca, who was facing his largest fire yet in his ninth month on the job, has no memory of what hap?pened next. "I remember calling out my Mayday, and the next thing I remember is waking up two days later in the hospital," he said.

Firefighter Mills, universally described as a quiet, modest type, was reluctant to give the full details of what took place. According to the FDNY, his own air supply ran out while he was dragging Mr. Petrarca to safety, but he remained with the downed Firefighter until more help arrived.

For his bravery, Firefighter Mills received the department's highest award, the James Gordon Bennett Medal, during the FDNY's 135th Medal Day on June 2.

In all, 40 firefighters and two fire companies received medals during the ceremony, which took place on the steps of City Hall for the first time in three years. The World Trade Center terrorist attacks led the city to cancel the 2002 ceremony, and rain last year forced the FDNY to hold the event indoors at nearby Pace University.

Cheers for Bloomberg

Any tension between the city's firefighters and the Bloomberg administration was muted for the event. Mayor Bloomberg and Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta used the occasion to offer spirited praise for the department in the face of recent criticism over the city's handling of the Trade Center attacks and the effort since then to prepare the FDNY to handle a new world of threats.

Mr. Bloomberg drew applause during his speech when he castigated Federal officials for shortchanging the city on counter-terrorism funding and "distributing these funds as mere political pork."

"Thank you; write your Congressman," he added when the crowd applauded.

Firefighters in the crowd could be heard snorting in disgust, however, when Mr. Bloomberg defended his own relations with the FDNY by asserting that the size of the uniformed force is now larger than it was on Sept. 10, 2001.

"Considering the city's fis?cal troubles, I can't imagine a better show of support," the Mayor said, omitting men?tion of the six fire units he ordered disbanded last year.

Scoppetta Whacks Panel

Commissioner Scoppetta responded to last month's harsh comments by members of the Federal commission investigating the city's response to the Sept. 11 ter?rorist attacks, some of whom faulted the FDNY for poor coordination and inadequate communications at the Trade Center.

Referring to the "unjust criticism" of others, Mr. Scoppetta said, "If anyone wants to know what this de?partment is about, all they have to do is come to this ceremony." He credited the city's firefighters with "always pushing on, no matter what the odds" to save lives.

The two companies that received awards, Engine Co. 52 in The Bronx and Ladder Co. 106 in Brooklyn, were recognized for their performance during the citywide blackout on Aug. 14 and 15 last year.

During the first night of the blackout, as emergency responders across the city were coping with an over?whelming number of 911 calls, both units responded to serious fires without the benefit of additional manpower. Several members of Engine Co. 52 were injured battling their blaze, while firefighters in Ladder Co. 106 ignored their personal safety to res?cue four residents from their burning apartment.

Among the other winners, Supervising Fire Marshal John David Lynn and Fire Marshal Bernard J. Santangelo were honored for investigative work that led to arrests in separate arson-for?-profit schemes involving millions of dollars in insurance benefits.

Mr. Mills, who rescued Mr. Petrarca at a March 4, 2003, blaze, was quick to share the credit with others. He noted that after he found the rookie Firefighter, his colleagues from Ladder Co. 176 and a unit from Rescue Co. 4 cut a hole in an interior wall of the cellar to shorten the trip to the exit.

'Others Not Recognized'

A similar story could be told about dozens of other firefighters, he added, look?ing off to the crowd that had assembled in their dress uni?forms under a clear June sky to see their colleagues take a turn in the spotlight.

"There are a lot of guys out there who don't get recogni?tion for the work they do day in and day out," Mr. Mills said.

Before the ceremony began, Mr. Mills enjoyed a brief reunion with Mr. Petrarca, who spent a week in the hospital after the March fire, undergoing treatments in a hyperbaric chamber to remove the toxic carbon monoxide from his system.

The 27-year-old Firefighter spent three months on medical leave and another three on light duty before re?turning to his firehouse. "It's the best thing to do," he said. "Getting right back on the horse."

Mr. Mills's actions at that fire earned him not only the esteem of the city, but gratitude from Mr. Petrarca, who couldn't shake his mile-wide grin.

"I can't explain it, I can't write it down. I'm just happy," Mr. Petrarca said, recalling his rescue. "I'm thankful everyday."