A Denver firefighter who collapsed inside a burning home Tuesdaymorning is alert and talking to family and friends.
Billy Green, 35, was one of the first firefighters to enter the home at 501 S. High Street to fight a basement fire. He was later found by fellow firefighters, unconscious and down on the floor.
His wife, Dawn, said Wednesday that he's sitting up, talking and joking around.
"He's just his normal self, you know?" said Dawn Green.
Dawn was rushed to the hospital after her husband collapsed and she stayed awake for nearly 30 hours as he clung to life in the hospital. He was transported in critical condition and was upgraded to good condition Wednesday at Denver Health Medical Center.
Dawn knows he almost died. She knows it's dangerous work, but also knows her husband wouldn't be happy doing anything else.
"He just loves it. He loves that he has great friends on the job and it's his passion," Dawn said. "(These things) don't happen that often. Every morning, you say a prayer and you just... That's their job, and you really don't think it's going to happen to your husband."
She said it's been a tense, emotionally trying time but is grateful for the outcome.
"It's a great turn of events ... We're very thankful for all the support that we've been given through the fire department and from the hospital, and from paramedics," Green said.
Fire department spokesman Phil Champagne said investigators were still trying to determine why Green lost consciousness and are looking at a possible malfunction in Green's oxygen apparatus.
Green went into the burning home wearing full equipment that included an oxygen compression pack and facemask but his air regulator was not in its correct position on the mask, said Denver Fire Chief Larry Trujillo.
One possibility is that the seal on his regulator was not secured, the chief said.
"Maybe there was human error and it didn't click (in place) or something went wrong there," Trujillo said.
Officials say if his oxygen regulator malfunctioned, he could have been breathing poison gas for some time. The chief said in 24 years he's never seen a regulator malfunction.
Green was physically fit and in great shape, so exertion or adrenaline are not likely, but are also being looked at, Champagne said.
It's not known how long Green was unconscious. He was found in the smoky home when another firefighter tripped over him. His colleagues immediately pulled him from the house and performed CPR on him. A few more seconds on the ground and he would not have survived, paramedics said.
"He's about as sick as they come and still be able to recover," said paramedic Capt. Greg Stahmer, who helped open Green's airway at the scene.
Trujillo said it's the "greatest relief in the world" to know that Green is going to fully recover. Champagne said firefighters were "ecstatic" over Green's progress.
"The outcome could have been devastating," Champagne said.
Green has been with Denver Fire for 10 years. Trujillo said Green has passed on promotion opportunities because he said he wanted to stay in the field and continue fighting fires. Dawn said there's no possibility that this accident will slow down her husband or make him retire.
"There is no way. He wants to get back. He wants to know when he can get back into the firehouse," Dawn said.
The Greens have a 2-year-old boy, Grant, who doesn't know what happened to his father. But Billy Green doesn't know either. Doctors said he can't remember what happened.
Previous Story:
Copyright 2006 by TheDenverChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
