Conn. Chief, Lt. Recovering From Freak Incident

April 26, 2011
NORWICHTOWN, Conn. -- Fire Chief Frank Blanchard and his lieutenant are slowly healing following an accident two weeks ago in which a 8 by4 sheet of plywood knocked both of them to their feet. "One minute I was in the parking lot, the next minute I was waking up in an ambulance," Blanchard said. Blanchard said he had just walked out of the firehouse to check on the Fire Department's landscaping project when a gust of wind ripped the plywood off of the roof of the vacant Hale Mill across the street.

NORWICHTOWN, Conn. --

Fire Chief Frank Blanchard and his lieutenant are slowly healing following an accident two weeks ago in which a 8 by4 sheet of plywood knocked both of them to their feet.

"One minute I was in the parking lot, the next minute I was waking up in an ambulance," Blanchard said.

Blanchard said he had just walked out of the firehouse to check on the Fire Department's landscaping project when a gust of wind ripped the plywood off of the roof of the vacant Hale Mill across the street.

Blanchard said he suffered some injuries to hi right arm, wrist abd shoulder.

Everyone inside the firehouse rushed to their colleagues' aid and the pair were taken via ambulance to William Backus hospital.

Blanchard said when he reviewed the surveillance video days later it was very disturbing.

"The plywood actually hit on the flat. It didn't hit on the edge or the other side where there were several large nails in that piece of plywood," he said.

The local building official inspected the roof of the old mill to make sure that any more loose material doesn't fly away.

"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. You couldn't re create that," Blanchard said.

E-mail news tips to Eyewitness News, or dial: 866-289-0333.Connecticut's latest breaking news is on WFSB.com and Channel 3 Eyewitness News.Be The First To Know:Breaking News, Weather, Sports E-mail Fr

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Firehouse, create an account today!