False alarm artist endangers neighbors

A 23-year-old man called 9-1-1 20 times between January 28 and December 15 of last year and reported smelling smoke in locations in South Ozone Park and Rockaway.
But when firefighters responded, there was in fact no fire or smoke – at any of them.
Robert Silano, of Sutter Avenue, has been arraigned on 80 counts of falsely reporting an incident and 20 counts of reckless endangerment in the second degree after he was arrested on Monday, March 23.
In court documents obtained by The Courier, a Fire Marshall deposed that he listened to 9-1-1 audio recordings of the calls, placed from inside various locations on 149th Avenue and 117th Street, “wherein the defendant, Robert Silano made said 9-1-1 call that he smelled smoke and to which fire trucks responded.”
Silano made false reports again on January 29 and 31; February 1, 2, 3, 13, 15, 16 and 18; and, from inside locations on Beach 109th Street, on November 10, 21; December 11, 12, 13 and 15.
For each of the 9-1-1 calls, said the Marshall, three fire engines, two ladder trucks, one battalion chief and a police vehicle responded.
“False alarms can cost injury or lives,” said Jim Long, FDNY spokesperson. “If you send out first responders to a bogus call, it can jeopardize the lives of the firefighters and those of the general public. You can stand to have a possible accident or injury, and tying up first responders on a bogus call delays [response to] a real emergency.”
Silano’s next court date is scheduled for May 6.