June 19--The constant training firefighters endure is such an essential part of the job that it becomes instinctual at a certain point.
That's what happened with a crew responding to a residential fire in Poughkeepsie last week, the details of which were offered to Firehouse.com in an exclusive interview with the city's fire chief, Mark Johnson.
The fire broke out late Wednesday afternoon at a three-story structure on Hooker Avenue that contained eight apartments, leading to one firefighter suffering second-degree burns on his hands when he pulled a woman who was burning off a bed and out of a room that was engulfed in flames.
Johnson said that as firefighters arrived on scene, the fire room on the second floor had already vented. When crews entered the structure and made their way to the second floor with a charged line, a woman suddenly cried out for help.
"We had no idea that there was anyone still in the building, because it's a rooming house and people are in and out all day, so nobody knew," said Johnson, who responded to the scene. "They were going in with a charged line and gonna deal with (getting) to the fire, and then she surprised them."
Johnson said one firefighter quickly located the woman with a thermal imaging camera before another dashed into the blazing room and pulled her out. That firefighter's hands suffered burns because his gloves somehow came off as he was reaching for her.
The chief said he has no idea how the unidentified woman was even able to speak at that point. She was rushed to the burn unit at Westchester Medical Center in critical condition Wednesday night with what were described as "serious" external burns as well as damage to her trachea. Her current condition is unknown.
Another firefighter on the first hoseline rescued a man from another apartment who was treated on the scene and refused medical transport.
As for the firefighter who dashed into the burning room, the chief says he's doing well and was released from the hospital after being treated. The 14-year veteran of the department would prefer to remain anonymous, said Johnson.
"I spoke to him the next day," Johnson said. "He actually was technically cleared to come back to work (Monday), but his next shift isn't until Thursday so he got a few extra days off."
Two other firefighters were treated for minor injuries after battling the blaze -- one for heat exhaustion and another who tweaked his back carrying the burned woman out of the building.
Chief Johnson emphasized that his department undergoes extensive training with cameras, traveling down to New York City for what he called the best training on the East Coast.
"Over the last couple years we've gotten a lot of camera work, camera donations and grants. All of my guys go to the New York City first line school when they get promoted, and they're a big proponent of the cameras, which make a huge difference.
"It's worked out well (for us) the last couple times."
