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Multiple firefighters from the Charlotte Fire Department have been honored for their actions during a 5-Alarm fire earlier this year. Information from Charlotte Fire Department on Facebook.
CONGRATULATIONS: Distinguished Action Captain Brian Benson: On the morning of May 18, 2023, CFD Alarm began receiving calls for a report of a trailer on fire in a parking garage. Ladder 16 arrived on scene and found heavy smoke coming from the parking garage under construction. Upon arrival, Captain Benson had command of the incident. During that time, he exercised accurate, precise, and timely decision-making, giving the victims the best chance to be rescued. Captain Benson also placed additional arriving companies in advantageous positions to carry out the operation. Captain Benson was simultaneously hands-on with rescue operations while serving as Incident Commander. Despite the extreme conditions of the incident, Captain Benson remained calm and composed. Captain Benson later seamlessly transferred command to Battalion 5. From the time Ladder 16 arrived through the transfer of command, Captain Benson’s crew worked tirelessly to rescue the victims trapped inside the structure. His crew's ability to execute the rescue operation without Captain Benson’s assistance is a testament to his leadership.
CONGRATULATIONS: Distinguished Action FFII Kevin Murphy: On the morning of May 18, 2023, CFD Alarm began receiving calls for a report of a trailer on fire in a parking garage. Immediately upon arrival, Rescue 10 was tasked with the extrication of the crane operator. Shortly after that, Rescue 10 was reassigned to the Search and Rescue effort for Ladder 1. After the members of Ladder 1 were safely back on the ground, Rescue 10 returned to efforts of extricating the crane operator. Captain Jeff Bright contacted the crane operator via radio, who was in deteriorating conditions of heavy smoke and moderate heat. Based on the needs and size of the ladder-way that personnel were required to ascend, the use of SCBA was prohibited. Conditions continued to worsen, and despite this, FFII Kevin Murphy climbed the crane ladder and made his way toward the crane cab to rescue the operator. Thanks to Captain Bright staying in contact with the crane operator via radio and keeping the operator calm and alert, Rescue 10 could assist the operator in safely returning to the ground and out of harm’s way. For his heroic, life-saving efforts in the face of danger, FFII Kevin Murphy is awarded the Medal for Distinguished Action.
CONGRATULATIONS! Distinguished Action FFII Sherrod Coates: On the morning of May 18, 2023, CFD Alarm began receiving calls for a report of a trailer on fire in a parking garage. Ladder 16 arrived on scene and found heavy smoke from a parking garage/apartment building under construction. Upon transfer of command from Ladder 16 to Battalion 5, Ladder 16’s Engineer and Captain began to receive reports of people trapped on floor 4 and 6. The crew of Ladder 16 took action to make access to the individuals for rescue. Once the location of the trapped individuals was determined, the crew of Ladder 16 placed a 40-foot ladder against the building to begin making access to the victims. Due to uneven ground, the 40-foot ladder became unsteady and stuck and in a position that was unsafe to climb. Ladder 2 arrived, and efforts to set up the aerial were begun. During this time, FFI McMillan and FFII Coates were able to get the 40-foot ladder back into position. Conditions deteriorated, and it was clear that conditions were evolving towards the potential for a flashover. Regardless of the danger, Coates proceeded up the 40-foot ladder with McMillan.
Coates was just above the second floor, where the smoke had changed to fire. Coates was only feet away from the building when the flashover occurred. Coates could have easily completed a ladder slide to escape the heat and fire. Instead, FFII Coates remained in place. Coates immediately called out to McMillan on his radio and yelled out to McMillan. This directly impacted McMillan's ability to find his way back to the 40-foot ladder and escape certain death. Without regard to his personal safety and in immediate danger of being overrun by the fire that was now blowing out the openings on the second floor just below him, FFII Coates remained in place to assist McMillan down the ladder. FFII Coates was responsible for saving the life of FFI McMillan twice. For his heroic actions, he is recognized with the Medal of Distinguished Action.
CONGRATULATIONS: Distinguished Action Engineer Ferney Mercado: On the morning of May 18, 2023, CFD Alarm received calls for a report of a trailer on fire in a parking garage. Ladder 16 arrived and found heavy smoke from the parking garage under construction. Mercado began setting up the aerial. While the rest of Ladder 16 crew worked, Mercado received reports of trapped victims. Relaying this to Command, Mercado ran to see if he could see the victims. Mercado identified the location and returned to the truck to retrieve a 40-foot ladder. Having been task-saturated until now, Mercado had not had a chance to don his fire gear.
Despite the risk to his safety, Mercado entered the area between the fire building and the building next to it. The area, no more than 50' wide, would soon become overrun by heat and fire and ultimately impassible. After the building flashed still being too task-saturated to get to his fire gear, and with extreme heat bearing down on him, Mercado climbed to the turntable of Ladder 16 and placed the aerial waterway into action. The heat became so intense that even in full turnout gear, crews could not approach to reposition the truck. With the heat dropping just enough to approach, Ladder 16 was repositioned. With small spots of fires on top of the truck, Mercado climbed onto the turntable and worked the aerial waterway to put out spot fires on top of the building next to the fire building and sprayed the tower crane, which kept the metal cooled, preventing the metal of the tower crane from deforming and ultimately collapsing. By avoiding the collapse of the tower crane, Mercado played a pivotal role in protecting the lives of the crane operator and all the crews on the scene. In addition to these lives, Mercado protected the lives of countless others in the buildings surrounding the scene, which the crane would have struck had it collapsed. Engineer Mercado is recognized for these brave actions with the Medal for Distinguished Action.
CONGRATULATIONS! Distinguished Action L2 (Aaron Alexander, Daniel Burke, Ryan Creed, E. Scheeder): On the morning of May 18, 2023, CFD Alarm began receiving calls for a report of a trailer on fire in a parking garage. Ladder 16 arrived on scene and found heavy smoke from the parking garage under construction. Ladder 2 was directed by Command to locate their apparatus at Ladder 16’s location and assist with rescuing two victims. While attempting to rescue the victims, conditions deteriorated, and the building ultimately flashed over. Command ordered all companies to evacuate the building and sounded evacuation tones. During this time or shortly before, command was made aware that the crane operator was still in the crane's cab, approximately 160 feet above the fire. The crane was taking the full brunt of the fire's heat. Ladder 2’s crew had remained in place and positioned their aerial to spray onto the crane and cab to protect the operator. All these actions occurred as the building had become fully involved, and collapse was imminent. The building collapsed onto Ladder 2’s apparatus shortly after the crew of Ladder 2 had evacuated the area. By remaining in the collapse zone between the building and the tower crane long enough to position the aerial straight up and spraying the crane and the cab, the crew of Ladder 2 was directly responsible for providing just enough protection for the crane operator to not only survive but to also escape without any serious injuries. Likewise, their decision to spray the ladder down despite being told to evacuate and move their apparatus, ultimately sacrificing it, played a crucial role in keeping the fire's heat from deforming the crane's metal and causing it to collapse. This action also protected the lives of many others in the surrounding buildings since the crane would have struck those buildings if it had collapsed. For their heroic, life-saving efforts, the members of Ladder 2 are awarded the Medal for Distinguished Action.
CONGRATULATIONS! Distinguished Action L1 (Levi Niswander, Stephen Pettit, Thomas Rusling, Michael Watts):
On the morning of May 18, 2023, CFD Alarm began receiving calls for a report of a trailer on fire in a parking garage. Ladder 1 went to the 6th floor to locate two missing workers. Conditions rapidly deteriorated, yet Ladder 1 continued to search for the missing workers until they could not remain in the structure due to limited air supply. For their heroic, life-saving attempts, the members of Ladder 1 are awarded the Medal for Distinguished Action.
CONGRATULATIONS! Distinguished Action R10 (Jeffery Bright, Jonathan Belcher, Bill Mitchell, Kevin Murphy, Casey Russell):
On the morning of May 18, 2023, CFD Alarm began receiving calls for a report of a trailer on fire in a parking garage. Immediately upon arrival, Rescue 10 was tasked with the extrication of the crane operator. Shortly after that, Rescue 10 was reassigned to the Search and Rescue effort for Ladder 1. After the members of Ladder 1 were safely back on the ground, Rescue 10 returned to the task of extricating the crane operator. Captain Jeff Bright contacted the crane operator via radio, who was in deteriorating conditions of heavy smoke and moderate heat. Based on the conditions and size of the ladder-way that personnel were required to ascend, the use of SCBA was prohibited. Conditions continued to worsen, and despite this, Captain Bright and his personnel still chose to climb the tower crane and make their way to the Operator. Thanks to Captain Bright staying in contact with the crane operator via radio and keeping the operator calm and alert, Rescue 10 could assist the Operator in safely returning to the ground and out of harm’s way. For their heroic, life-saving efforts, the members of Rescue 10 are awarded the Medal for Distinguished Action.