Toms River Lauds Heroes Who Saved 1st Aid Squad Captain From Fire

TOMS RIVER, NJ — When Toms River First Aid Squad captain Alyssa Golembeski's home caught fire in December, she was caught inside as flames engulfed the house she shared with several family members.

What could have been a tragedy, however, was averted thanks to the efforts of a neighbor and several township employees, whose quick thinking led her to safety.

On Tuesday night, those efforts were honored by the Toms River Township Council and Mayor Thomas Kelaher with proclamations commemorating their lifesaving efforts.

Joe Mahon, Golembeski's neighbor, reported the fire. Then Mahon and Tim Dalton, Joe Hayward, Dave Gretkowski from the township's Public Lands department who were working in the area, Police Officer Andrew Gannon and Toms River Community Service Officers Elmandoh Kandil and William Miller, were able to coach Golembeski to follow their voices to a first-floor window of the house, where she was able to escape. She suffered minor burns on her back and feet, according to the Toms River First Aid Squad. The fire killed the family's pets, however.

The proclamation reads in part that the men "demonstrated great bravery and quick thinking," and their "heroic efforts are an inspiration and serve as models of bravery for all the citizens of Toms River Township."

"Golembeski and her family have been serving Toms River's citizens since the summer of 2013, and dedicate their time volunteering for their community," Keith Rodriguez, first lieutenant of the Toms River First Aid Squad, wrote in a post on Facebook, where the squad shared a GoFundme campaign for the family shortly after the fire.

She shared the home with her sister, Ashley Hollingsworth, who the president-elect of the Toms River First Aid Squad and a firefighter with Toms River Fire Company 2; their mother, Christine Golembeski, who is an EMT and treasurer of the Toms River First Aid Squad; as well as her aunt, her grandmother, who is the squad chaplain, and an 11-year-old cousin, the Facebook post said. (Read More: TR First Aid Squad Rallying To Help Captain, Family After Fire)

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