Firehouse.com

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Feb. 7--A Columbus firefighter remained hospitalized today after suffering a heart attack at a house fire last night.

Lt. Mike Polaski, 61, was in critical condition in the intensive-care unit at Riverside Methodist Hospital, Battalion Chief David Whiting said.

"He's going to be there a couple days," Whiting said.

Polaski, a 37-year Fire Division veteran who works out of Station 16 at Weber and McGuffey roads in North Linden, was the first officer on the scene at 1831 Roberts St.

Firefighters had the basement fire under control when Polaski, the officer in charge, went down, Whiting said.

His heart had stopped, he said.

"They got him upstairs and resuscitated him. By the time he was transported, he was breathing and had a pulse."

Polaski had no heart problems that Whiting knew of but was wearing the usual 50 or so pounds of firefighting gear.

"The stars aligned," Whiting said. "His crew was with him, the fire wasn't huge, and they were able get him out quickly."

Whiting called Polaski "a phenomenal officer and a great person."

Polaski lettered in football as a defensive back at Ohio State University from 1967 to 1969. His teammates included Jack Tatum and Mike Sensibaugh, and Lou Holtz was his position coach.