SALEM LAKES — On Thursday, Salem Lakes Fire and Rescue crews were battling a structure fire when one of their own fell through the floor inside the home. The firefighter was rushed to the hospital.
Salem Lakes Fire and Rescue Chief Al Carr says crews were making progress inside the home when the situation suddenly changed.
"The crew of three — they were making a fire attack, advancing into the fire, and the first person on a hose line fell through a compromised section of the floor down into the basement," said Chief Carr.
Because of the mayday, officials upgraded the response to a second alarm — bringing in nearly 30 firefighters from neighboring communities. Fire trucks lined Rock Lake Road as crews worked to rescue their colleague and extinguish the fire.
"Getting inside the house and seeing what actually happened kind of just makes your heart drop," said Erin Behm, firefighter and paramedic. "It literally could happen to one of us, whoever would’ve been that first crew."
Chief Al Carr, who has more than 40 years of fire service experience, says it was the first mayday of his career — and a reminder of how dangerous the job can be.
Watch: Salem Lakes firefighter and chief recall mayday call as colleague falls through floor
“When something like this happens, it hits everyone,” Carr said. "It happens, and it’s every chief's worst nightmare, because one of your people is down and you have to solve that problem immediately, and it’s a moment of growth."
The chief confirmed the injured firefighter is now doing well and was released from the hospital with minor injuries.
No residents were inside the home at the time of the fire, and no other injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
"We’ve never had that happen here, that’s a first," Behm said. "We're just thankful that he's okay and hope that he is back to work with us here soon."
Chief Carr says the department will review the incident to learn from it and continue training — emphasizing that firefighter safety remains the top priority.
"We’re going analyze this to determine what else we can learn and get better," Carr said.
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