Chief’s account of mayday in Mt. Carmel, PA plus new video
Assistant Chief Jim Reed Sr. of American Hose & Chemical Company in Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania is talking about the mayday that left him in cardiac arrest last Monday. Below is an excerpt of the story posted on NewsItem.com along with video from WNEP-TV of Chief Reed on Thursday being reunited with those who rescued him during the multi-alarm rowhouse fire. Further below are three videos of the fire from mcfdtv.
Click here if video above fails to play
Previous coverage of this fire including radio traffic & more video here & here
At the fire, he found Mount Carmel Township Police Chief Brian Hollenbush had established command. He knew the roofs of several of the homes needed to be cut to vent the structures, but few firefighters were at the scene. While more arrived, Hollenbush asked him to help with a more urgent task – running hoses into buildings for interior attacks.
Reed can clearly remember the first floor of 213 S. Walnut St. But after he climbed the stairs to the second floor, his memory is more hazy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbVokHudUuk
“The conditions deteriorated so rapidly,” he said.
All at once, he said, the temperature shot up and visibility dropped. A hose broke, causing him to be shot by water.
Suddenly, he was lost.
“The hallway was only 3 feet. How do you get lost in the hallway?” he said. “All I could see is fire everywhere.”
He reached out and grabbed a fellow firefighter’s arm. They were spun around in the hallway, causing his disorientation to become worse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMQxx5Jh6cI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0dWGjKT4nA
