Huntington Station Street Renamed for Slain EMS Capt. Alison Russo-Elling
A Huntington Station street was renamed for New York City Fire Department EMS Capt. Alison Russo-Elling, of Huntington, who was killed in a random attack while on duty in Queens last fall.
Part of Railroad Street near the Huntington Community First Aid Squad (HCFAS), where Russo-Elling volunteered for 30 years, was renamed Capt. Alison Russo Way in a ceremony on Wednesday to honor her life.
“There’s so much emptiness all around us without her,” said her father, Frank Fuoco. “She was our savior and our hero.”
Russo-Elling was a 61-year-old FDNY EMS lieutenant who served for 25 years and was only six months away from retiring when she was killed on Sept. 29, 2022. She was posthumously promoted to captain during her funeral on Oct. 5, 2022.
Russo-Elling was on duty and buying food near 20th Avenue and Steinway Street in Queens when she was stabbed multiple times in a vicious, unprovoked attack in broad daylight. According to the FDNY, she was the 1,158th FDNY member to die in the line of duty.
“To some it may be a street sign, but when we’re retired, when our time here is over and we’re no longer here to tell a story, her name will be up there, and we can reflect and tell the next generation of new members who she was,” said Huntington Manor Fire Department Chaplain Chuck Brady.
It is estimated that Russo-Elling responded to 25,000 emergency calls throughout her career. Her colleagues and loved ones have described her kind, caring nature and selflessness in helping others both on and off the job.
