On January 29, 2018, at approximately 20:35 hours, off duty Captain James Coleman of the City of DeSoto Fire Department was driving home on South Main Street in DeSoto. As he came upon the 600 block, he visualized a fire in a commercial structure housing a Church on the first level and apartments on the second floor. The structure had exposures to the North and South as well as to the West in the alley.
Captain Coleman requested a first alarm response. Soon after, he was made aware of persons trapped on the second floor in one of the apartments. A woman was leaning out of a window and there was dense, black smoke billowing out behind her. A cell phone video before the first truck arrived gave visual and audio account of the woman contemplating jumping from the window. Bystanders, along with an off duty deputy, attempted to calm her and ask her to wait for the firefighters. It was determined in this process that there was also a male still inside the apartment along with the couple’s pet.
Because it was a training night and the station is just a few blocks away, the first arriving apparatus was DeSoto Rural 5814 with a crew of four. Firefighter Engineer Josh Barton and firefighters Travis Wood, Conner Mahn and Zach Rice immediately went into action. As they completed donning their protective gear, Captain Coleman and a former firefighter who happened to be on the scene deployed 5814’s 24 foot ladder to the second floor window. Valle Ambulance District Paramedics Elaine Bize and Scott Meador from 7527 were on scene and assisted in stabilizing the ladder. Immediately, Firefighter Mahn ascended the ladder and brought the female victim safely to the ground. Firefighter Luke Notbusch arrived and threw up a second ladder to support the rescue with the assistance of Chief Jesse Barton from Valle. Firefighter Wood then ascended the ladder and brought the family pet and the male victim safely to the ground.
Several factors came into play to keep this event from becoming very tragic. In no particular order, the fact that Captain Coleman was driving that route, saw and reported the fire before any 911 calls were made is significant. The fact that it was a training night and there were many personnel at the station is also significant. But the most significant of all factors is that the men and women that were there had the right training to do the job and were able to act in a calm and professional manner to effect the rescue of those trapped. It is a testament to the emergency services of DeSoto Rural, the City of DeSoto and Valle Ambulance that we do not allow turf wars, boundary lines or truck colors to change what happens on the fire ground. We all know we are there for a purpose. That is to save lives and property and to serve the citizens of the community, no matter who or where they are.
Congratulations to Captain Coleman and the personnel mentioned above for a job well done!
I would be at fault if I stopped there. Because all of our personnel who responded that evening did the same exact thing. The job they were trained to do. Even though it was cold and icy, people stayed in the fight until it was done. To help the situation and in support of our firefighters, our auxiliary responded and handed out snacks, prepared countless cups of coffee and hot chocolate and kept up with the needs of all of the approximately 100 firefighters who responded.
I also would like to thank you, the board, for giving us the tools necessary to do the job we are here to do and I hope that we make you proud and give you a sense of how important it is to continue to have a first rate fire department. Thank you.
FFAM
