MILWAUKEE --
It's a call one veteran fire department lieutenant will never forget.
"This was unusual because it all unfolded right in front of us," Lt. Ron Firnrohr said.
Firnrohr and his crew responded to a fender-bender on 24th and National Sunday night.
"We thought this was going to be your average run-of-the-mill traffic accident," Firnrohr said.
But it wasn't. Police said a car got hit by an SUV and ran off the road.
While the four-person fire crew was making sure everyone was OK, a large crowd formed at the scene and people started brawling. That's when firefighters said someone connected to the SUV came out with a gun.
"I relayed that to our dispatcher, and as I'm done saying that, I hear a number of shots ring out," said Firnrohr.
The crew couldn't get the truck out of the area and into safety until police arrived, so the firefighters had to take cover behind their rig.
"We didn't know where the alleged gunman was coming toward us, but we did know someone who had been shot was coming toward our apparatus," Firnrohr said.
Rescuers say the man had been hit five times. The crew made a decision to leave their cover, run out to get the victim, put him on the rig and drive a block away where they started working on him.
"This person was probably lucky we were there to provide immediate care," Firnrohr said.
The lieutenant said he's grateful the man survived, but he never thought he'd have to dodge bullets to do his job.
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