December 17, 1998. The Bull Creek in is now known as “The Oasis” and is closed. It has been purchased by the Town of Smithown and will be demolished to make way for a park.
Adult make burglarizes the place and attempts to steal the ATM. He pushes the ATM in front of the exit door and then sets a fire in the building. Subject becomes trapped. On Dec. 17, 1998, at about 7:30 a.m., Officers Thomas Foley and Timothy Biscay responded to a fire at a Smithtown bar.
As they pull around to the rear, the officers could see flames shooting out of a first floor door and a second story door.
“I noticed a pick-up truck parked in back, unoccupied. It was a concern. Where is this person? The report said there might be someone inside,” Biscay said.
The officers separated, with Biscay climbing an outside staircase to the second story door and Foley going to the downstairs rear door.
“I noticed the bottom door broken open . . . I attempt to go in the building. It’s inundated with smoke. As soon as I got in I screamed, `Is there anyone in there?’ “ Foley said. Because of the smoke, he couldn’t remain in the building.
Biscay was attempting to get in the upstairs door but the heat of the fire made it impossible.
Foley ran up the stairs to check on Biscay. “We agreed to check the front of the building. We ran to the front door. As we got to the front, we heard a faint sound and then some screams from inside. We knew someone was inside,” Foley said.
The officers tried to open the door but it was too hot and it was locked.
The officers yelled through the door, “we’re here, stay put, we’re working on getting you out.”
By this time, a local fire chief had responded. Biscay, a volunteer fireman, knew to ask for the proper tools to pry open the door. All three worked and got the door open.
“Smoke comes pouring out. I look and he’s {the trapped man} not there. I got low, crawled in and heard him coughing. I grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him toward where I thought the door was,” Biscay said.
Both Foley and Biscay dragged him to safety.
Subsequent investigation by the arson squard determined that this person had started the fire and had been trapped. He was charged with arson.
Foley and Biscay were named Cops of the Month, a precinct-level award given to police officers for exemplary work on a specific case or for overall performance in a given month. Both are assigned to the Fourth Precinct in Hauppauge.
Foley, a 3 ½-year veteran of the Suffolk County Police Force, has 1 ½ years prior service as a New York State Trooper. He is single and lives in Suffolk. Biscay, a 5-year veteran of the Fourth Precinct has been a volunteer firefighter in Nassau County for nine years. He and his wife have a 2year-old daughter.
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