Woman Rescued in Bridgeport, CT

Nov. 21–BRIDGEPORT — City firefighters saved a 93-year-old woman from a burning house on Bennett Street Wednesday night.

Firefighters were called to 214 Bennett St. about 10:15 p.m. and when they arrived found heavy fire and smoke coming from the back of the building. An 87-year-old man who’d escaped the house told firefighters his upstairs neighbor was possibly still inside, said Bill Kaempffer, a city spokesman.

Firefighter Bobby Hernandez of Ladder 11 and Firefighter Richard Messer of Rescue 5 made their way to the smoke-filled second floor and and into the woman’s apartment. When they reached her bedroom door, it was locked from the inside. The firefighters smashed their way through it and found the woman, unconscious, in her bed.

They grabbed her and started carrying her downstairs when she woke up and started struggling. Lt. Neil Carr of Engine 4 helped the two firefighters carry her the rest of the way to safety, Kaempffer said.

Assistant Fire Chief Christopher Martin praised the firefighters for their efforts and said they “absolutely” saved her life.

“These were difficult conditions,” Martin said. “The apartment was filled with smoke. There was no visibility. This was crawling and feeling.”

The woman and man were taken to Bridgeport Hospital, and were conscious and alert when transported, Kaempffer said.

“The courage of our firefighters never ceases to amaze me,” Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch said. “They risk their lives to protect our kids and families — and in this case saved a 93-year-old woman who would not have survived were it not for their efforts.”

countyfiretactics

Curt Isakson is a 35 year veteran of the fire service. Curt is currently a Battalion Chief for Escambia County Fire Rescue. Previously worked 9 years with the Pensacola Fire Department where he was assigned as the Company Officer on Rescue 31. Curt’s fire service experiences started at a young age as a Junior firefighter with the Midway Fire Protection District and rose through the ranks to Captain. He has worked in volunteer, career, and combination departments.

Curt has held all ranks up to Battalion Chief and been assigned to operations, training, inspections, and was Chief of Special Operations for 7 years. Curt owns and operates County Fire Tactics that covers a very diverse range of fire service topics, as well as Firefighter Rescues, a site that documents rescues made by firefighters around the country.

He has annual contracts with numerous departments to provide standardized monthly training for these departments that respond daily together under an automatic aid agreement. Curt teaches nationally to include; FDIC, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World, Orlando Fire Conference, Atlanta Fire Conference, Bowling Green State University, and owns/operates the annual HROC, COBC, WOTF, CFT ODP on Pensacola Beach. He is a Florida Certified Fire Officer, Instructor, Inspector, Arson, and FLUSAR.

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