Chances are you’ll never hear a firefighter or paramedic toot their own horn. But Arlington Fire Chief Don Crowson says there are moments when his crews go above and beyond the call of duty that they ought to be recognized.
Such a moment happened on Nov. 20 at the Woodland Park apartments.
“The call initially came in as an apartment fire,” said Capt. Eddy Saldivar, one of the firefighters who responded that day. “They said the room was filled with smoke.”
A woman inside the apartment made the 911 call. Dispatchers said she was unresponsive and seemed dazed as they tried to talk to her. Then the line went dead.
She had only been able to give dispatchers a partial address. And because there was only a slight haze was visible outside the apartment, firefighters had a difficult time trying to locate her.
They say they came close to calling off the search – but had a gut feeling they needed to keep looking.
“They never gave up,” said Saldivar. “They never lost hope. And they kept looking.”
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Eventually, one of the firefighters spotted the haze outside the woman’s apartment.
“When we pushed the door open, it was black smoke down to the floor,” said firefighter Ryan Pugh, who was also on scene that day.
That’s when they heard someone calling for help.
“It sent chills down my spine,” said Pugh. “So I turned around and we ran inside after her.”
“When the situation is a known rescue, you’re willing to do things that are a little more dangerous,” said Saldivar.
When they found her, she was lying unconscious on the floor. They pulled her to safety.
Paramedics then used an IV-like device called a Cyanokit to help revive her. It helps get oxygen going through the blood stream and has proven effective for victims of smoke inhalation.
Arlington was the first fire department in North Texas to use the Cyanokits. Since getting them in 2012, they’ve been successfully used six times.
“Whenever we found her she was unconscious,” said Blake Irvan, one of the paramedics who transported the woman to the hospital. “After giving it to her, she woke up and she was able to talk to us.”
Everyone who responded to the call received a special life-saving award Monday. But they said a piece of paper pales in comparison to knowing that the woman is alive.
“They’re going to have an extra Christmas, they’re going to be able to spend time with their family,” said Saldivar. “It’s very rewarding.”
The fire department said it’s been unable to get back in touch with the woman since that day. When NBC 5 stopped by the apartment Monday afternoon, no one was home. Her name was not released.
