Jonathan R. Safe and Lyndsey Sgro, two former emergency medical technicians, pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges in arsons at two vacant homes last spring.

Law enforcement officials said Safe and Sgro wanted to appear heroic by alerting neighbors to the fires. Total damage was estimated at $54,000.

On the eve of the start of a grand jury presentation, Safe, 20, of Iris Avenue, pleaded guilty to single counts of third-degree arson and attempted third-degree arson.

Sgro, 22, of Edgebrook Estates, Cheektowaga, pleaded guilty to attempted arson.

Both appeared before State Supreme Court Justice Penny M. Wolfgang.

Prosecutor Mary Beth De-Pasquale said Safe and Sgro both admitted setting a fire at about 11:30 p. m. May 3 that caused more than $9,000 damage to a vacant seven-story apartment building on Glenny Drive.

Safe also admitted starting the fire that leveled a vacant home on Howard Street at about 4:15 a. m. May 12. The loss was placed at $45,000.

Police said the fires were started by igniting combustibles with cigarette lighters.

Both fires occurred while the two were working for the Rural/ Metro Medical Services ambulance company.

Safe also was a volunteer firefighter with West Seneca’s Vigilant Fire Department.

Both were arrested June 26. The two remain free on bail pending sentencing Feb. 16.

DePasquale said Safe faces a mandatory prison term of one to 15 years, while Sgro faces a sentence ranging from probation to seven years in prison.

Adin Bradley, general manager of Rural/Metro in Buffalo, said, the company “brought the original accusations to the attention of the authorities so they could investigate this further. Rural/Metro cooperated fully, turning over records that helped seal the cases against these two. When the guilty pleas are official, they will be terminated immediately.”