Tehuacana, TX, Fire Chief Recovering after Collapsing at House Fire
As he recovers after passing out at a structure fire, Tehuacana Fire Chief Aaron Woodall vows things at his department are changing immediately.
Within seconds of telling his crew he didn't feel well, Woodall collapsed.
“I do remember waking up on a fireman’s back being carried and put on a stretcher,” Woodall told KWTX.
He was rushed to Parkview Hospital in Mexia. But, doctors decided to transfer him to a Dallas burn center where he could undergo tests to determine why he fell unconscious.
“I did have smoke inhalation, carbon monoxide poisoning and a little flare up with my heart that caused an issue,” he explained, adding he wasn't wearing an SCBA while performing overhaul in the house.
"It’s an eye opener to me and my department. There’s now a rule in my department, the ‘chief’ rule because it happened to the chief, you’re going to be wearing an air pack any time.”
About the Author
Susan Nicol
News Editor
Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues.