Palomar Hotel Fire

Palomar Hotel Fire presented both a challenging and dangerous emergency incident. The first-arriving resources found a pre-1933 four-story center-hallway apartment with fire burning on all floors. Multiple occupants found themselves in great distress requiring immediate rescue measures.

Captain Robert McMaster and Apparatus Operator Jose Cardona accomplished rescues with extreme personal risk to their own health and safety. They stood on the second rung of a fully extended 35-foot extension ladder. There was nothing to grasp to balance and support them and both fully extend their bodies and arms while leaning awkwardly to rescue a mother and her two children who had sought refuge from the flames that blazed in their apartment.

This rescue was made increasingly more dangerous for several reasons. The ladder can only reach just above the third floor windows, thus leaving the ladder far short of the fourth floor where the mother and her two children awaited rescue. The ladder was positioned as close as possible to the building. The children were obviously frightened; they were wet and extremely slippery from the water being sprayed to protect them from the impinging flames. Their mother was extremely brave and was enduring great volumes of heat as she shielded her children. It was then that Captain McMaster and Apparatus Operator Cardona took turns ascending the 35-foot extension ladder to initiate the rescue of the young children.

In both cases, Captain McMaster and Apparatus Operator Cardona could only grab the children with one hand to initiate their rescues. When the children were release by their mother, the weight of the children nearly caused each rescuer to lose their balance and fall. After both children were rescued and taken down the ladder, Apparatus Operator Cardona made another rescue attempt to assist the mother. He quickly ascended the same ladder which was used to save the children and encouraging her to hold on as he climbed closer. Unfortunately, the mother could no longer endure the extreme conditions that surrounded her and as she shifted her body onto the window ledge, she fell to her death.

Without a doubt, the actions of Captain Robert McMaster and Apparatus Operator Jose Cardona saved the children, Lupita and Miguel Galindo from serious injury and even death. Their heroic rescues and display of bravery under extremely adverse emergency conditions placed them in rare company.

Both Captain II Robert McMaster and Apparatus Operator Jose Cardona have distinguished themselves and meet every criteria to receive the Medal of Valor.