In the late evening of December 16, 2021, Firefighter/Paramedic Michael Jones and his partner on the rescue
ambulance had just wrapped up an incident call. They were returning to the station when they heard a radio call about a nearby residential fire.
Their ambulance was a few blocks away from the fire, and initial reports stated that there were victims inside. Given their proximity to the incident address, they voluntarily attached themselves to the incident and were the first to arrive on the scene.
Upon arrival, the smoke was so low and thick that they initially headed towards the wrong house. Then,
Jones and his partner were frantically approached by a woman who yelled that her grandmother was
still inside the home.
The two Firefighter/Paramedics suited up in their turnout gear, grabbed their breathing apparatus, and made for the front door. Jones crouched to the ground, and then from below the smoke, he saw a silhouette just a few yards away. The person appeared to be in distress.
Without hesitation, Jones took a deep breath, pulled the bottom of his flame-resistant hood over his nose, and entered the smoke-filled room with zero visibility.
Seconds later, Jones emerged with the patient. He had felt his way across the living room to the dazed and disoriented patient. He managed to grab her in the darkness and pull her safely out of the front door.
The patient was quickly assessed and transported to the nearest Level 1 trauma center for burns and smoke inhalation treatment. She has since recovered from her injuries.
