FDNY Saving Lives

“When we pulled up we had three people straddling the window sill. Firefighter Christian Nielsen and I agreed that setting up a portable ladder was the quickest route into the apartment, so I grabbed the 35-foot ladder off the rig and got it in place. I calmed the patients down, and helped them climb down the ladder one at a time,” says FDNY Firefighter Timothy Brunton, Ladder 157, who along with Lieutenant Bryan Cowan, Firefighters Patrick Rooney, and Brandon Weekes performed multiple simultaneous rescues at different locations in the fire building yesterday at East 26 Street in Brooklyn. Firefighter Rooney says, “The public hallway on the third floor was blacked out with smoke. I crawled down the hallway to find the fire apartment and immediately encountered two patients. I transmitted a 10-45 (a signal that is given immediately upon the discovery of a patient with fire-related injuries) and Lieutenant Cowan and Firefighter Weekes carried both patients downstairs to the lobby, where they received medical attention. I continued to make my way down and into the fire apartment to locate the fire. The Engine made their way up with the line very quickly and they were able to advance in and knock the fire down.” The patients were transported to local hospitals. Fire Marshals determined that the fire was accidental, caused by electrical outlet failure.

About Author

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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