Photo provided Columbus Fire Chief Andy Lay, Lt. Rick Mullis, Firefighter Derrick Chitwood, Firefighter Eric Green and Deputy Chief Mark Ziegler are shown at the award ceremony.
The city of Columbus recognized three firefighters for their courage in the recent rescue of an unconscious man from an apartment fire.
Lt. Rick Mullis, and firefighters Eric Green and Derrick Chitwood were honored with the Columbus Fire Department Medal of Valor and commended for their actions at Tuesday’s Columbus Board of Works meeting.
“The Medal of Valor is awarded to a firefighter for performance above and beyond the call of duty at extreme personal risk and having been instrumental in rescuing and saving another person’s life,” said Chief Andy Lay.
At about 2:44 a.m. on Feb. 2, Columbus firefighters were sent to 2714 Williamsburg Court for a report of a structure fire. As firefighters went to the Williamsburg Way apartment complex, additional reports indicated that an occupant was possibly trapped inside a basement-level apartment.
Firefighters from Engine Co. 4 — staffed by Mullis, Green and Chitwood — arrived within four minutes of the dispatch and noted “an absence of visible smoke from the exterior of a multiple unit apartment building,” said Lay.
Mullis and Chitwood entered the building and found a locked basement level apartment door.
“With no additional firefighters yet on the scene, Mullis made the decision that the crew would gain entry to the apartment to execute a search for victims,” said Lay. “With great urgency, these firefighters breached the locked apartment door and proceeded to search the smoke-filled interior.”
Upon entering, the firefighters were met with heavy smoke and heat conditions. They used a hose line and thermal imaging camera to quickly find the trapped victim, Lay said.
Firefighters then removed the unconscious man from the apartment and into a stairwell where a Columbus police officer aided firefighters in removing the man outside the building. Green — who was also tasked with operating the fire engine pump — provided patient care until additional help arrived on the scene.
“The man was treated and transported to the hospital by the Columbus Regional Health Ambulance Service with second degree burns to approximately 6% of his body,” said Lay. “This individual was later transferred to a regional burn center where his condition continues to improve.”
According to the initial CFD release, a primary search of the apartment, following the rescue, did not turn up any additional occupants. Firefighters reported a lack of flames inside the unit, indicating that the fire was starved for oxygen and self-extinguished before CFD arrived. Firefighters applied a small amount of water to smoldering materials before reporting the fire was out.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire occurred in the kitchen. However, smoke damage was visible throughout the apartment, and smoke from the fire also extended to the units above. Damages to the apartment were estimated at $50,000.
Agencies that assisted at the scene include the Columbus Police Department, Columbus Regional Health Ambulance Service, Columbus City Utilities, Duke Energy and CenterPoint Energy.
