Two Franklin firefighters were presented Life Saving Awards for their actions to rescue a 96-year-old man with Alzheimer’s from his burning home. The awards were presented at the June 2 Franklin Town Council meeting with their families and fellow firefighters attending.
“This truly is the best part of my job, recognizing our employees for their hard work and dedication,” said Fire Chief Ben Ormond.
During a storm on May 8, Franklin Fire & Rescue was dispatched to a house fire on Hillcrest Circle. The initial call came in as smoke in the residence with an elderly man unable to get out. Ormond said the man was bedridden at the time.
Crews arrived at the structure fire at 11:08 p.m. Firefighters Darian Greene and Joe Templeton quickly entered the home and found the man. “At 11:12 p.m., only four minutes later, they had successfully removed him from the burning structure,” Ormond said.
The man was turned over to EMS and then taken to Angel Medical Center for further evaluation. The man did not have any issues or conditions from the fire and was released to his family, according to Ormond.
“On that night, it was definitely the quick and decisive actions of the personnel on scene, especially those of firefighters Greene and Templeton that resulted in the preservation of life and the saving of a resident,” Ormond said.
Following the presentation of the awards, Ormond said, “I also want to point out, sadly, this is not a common occurrence. Too many times we get there too late. But in those instances where seconds count, we got there in time this time, and these guys didn’t hesitate.