Brooklyn Borough President

MARKOWITZ HONORS BROOKLYN SANITATION HEROES

Brooklyn Sanitation Workers Damon Allen and Michael Kalinowski
Receive Citations at Borough Hall

In Photo: Borough President Markowitz commends Damon Allen (left) and Michael Kalinowski (center) for their bravery

Photograph by Kathryn Kirk

In photo: Borough President Markowitz presents sanitation workers Damon Allen (left) and Michael Kalinowski (right) citations.

On Thursday, December 8, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz honored Brooklyn Department of Sanitation workers Damon Allen and Michael Kalinowski who helped 5 year-old Emani McCovery and her father Damion Whyte escape from a raging fire at 4:00 a.m. on September 14.

“Damon Allen and Michael Kalinowski embody the Brooklyn attitude of courage and caring,” said Borough President Markowitz. “They put themselves at great personal risk to rescue five-year-old Emani and her father, who were trapped in a blaze so intense that three firefighters were injured while putting it out. They didn’t have to do this but they did it because it was the right thing to do. Their actions inspire us, by displaying the best of humanity and the best of public service as well. They have earned our utmost gratitude and deepest admiration. Truly, they make every Brooklynite proud.”

The two rookies of New York’s Strongest were heading back to the Brooklyn District 17 garage when they saw flames shooting out of an apartment building on Remsen Avenue in Canarsie. They ran towards frantic cries for help from a third story apartment. As flames shot out of the window, Whyte balanced himself and dropped his daughter from the balcony into the waiting arms of Crown Heights’ resident Allen. Meanwhile, Kalinowski, a resident of Bensonhurst, helped Whyte jump to the ground. The fire was so intense that three firefighters were injured extinguishing the blaze.