Talking about Brian Mulheren, one evening a firefighter from Ladder 19 was found unconscious in the basement of a supermarket during a multiple alarm fire. The FF was transported to Lincoln Hospital. Several weeks before this incident, we learned that the hyperbaric chamber that had been installed on City Island to assist deep sea divers suffering from the bends at UDC years back was being offered for FDNY use. Brian was with the Fire Commissioner & Chief of Department at Lincoln Hospital. The four of us had spoken about the chamber only a few weeks before, now it would be put to its test. I was called and proceeded to get permission from the doctor who oversaw the chambers operation to move the FF to City Island. We needed less than an hour for setup. Once we were ready at the City Island site, Brian shut down East 149 St in front of Lincoln Hospital for a NYPD Med-Vac Aviation unit to land. The FF was placed on board. Engine 70 was special called to the landing site and the rest is history. It was the first time that a hyperbaric chamber was used to save a FDNY members life who was injured in a fire. And Thank God not the last time. According to doctors later that evening at Jacobi Hospital it saved the FF three weeks in the ICU.
