Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - It was just a normal day for Canisius High School junior Arcangelo Capozzolo until he got off the school bus one afternoon in October to find his neighbor's garage was on fire.
"My bus driver actually alerted me that there was a fire in their garage," explained Capozzolo. "So instantly, my instinct was to run over there and help out my neighbor."
He grabbed a water hose on the side of the house and extinguished the flames to contain the fire coming from inside the garage. He then quickly called 911 and when the fire crew came on scene 20 minutes later, all that was left was some light smoldering.
"Thankfully, they were able to put that out and it saved their house ultimately," said Capozzolo.
As a result of his brave actions, Rosemary O'Connell, President of Niagara Frontier American Legion Auxiliary Unit 1041, presented Capozzolo with the American Legion Auxiliary's Youth Hero Award.
"The committee created the award to recognize girls and boys like you, who demonstrate a kind caring act of selflessness. We use these opportunities of these awards to be able to show your deeds as an example for your friends, classmates and family to do selfless acts in their everyday lives too," O'Connell read during the presentation.
"This has been a story that I think highlights who we are and who Arc is," said Tom Coppola, Principal of Canisius High School. "Understanding that going to school here, we're developing people and men who are going to be men for others, who work hard to serve their community. And this is just a heroic example of that."
"There was no thinking about it, it was more the adrenaline that kind of set in," said Capozzolo. "I wasn't really thinking about the alternatives. I was just trying to put the fire out at the time. If I would have let that kept going, it would have definitely spread to all around the house and would have been a lot more damage."
Capozzolo agrees it is important to lead by being a good example. "At Canisius, when they tell us to be a man for others. I think that's the main example I try to portray in my life."
The future is bright for the teenager, he applied to his local fire hall to continue his brave actions. "I'll hopefully be able to join the junior program and then once I turned 18, I'll be able to actually be a firefighter and help out in the community."
