Fire-Rescue News- FIREFIGHTERS SAVE ONE OF THEIR OWN
LONGPORT--Captain Richard Hirsch was putting out an electrical fire at this home in Longport last month. When he stepped outside and started removing his gear, he knew something was wrong.
"And all of the sudden I felt a little light headed and I'm going to go sit on the pump panel. And....Continue Reading
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that's all I remember"
He didn't make it, Captain Hirsch collapsed just outside the home from an apparent heart attack. Firefighter Michael Simons was also at the scene working the fire.
I saw him go down. I turned around and he looked completely plastic would be a good word," said Simons.
Margate EMT Chris Maher was inside of the home when he heard the call.
"We overheard the mayday on the radio for a firefighter down outside the building they were requesting for EMT's we responded and we saw Captain Hirsch laying on the ground," said Maher.
Police Officer Chris Riccioti who is also a Longport Firefighter was nearby facing away from the fallen firefighter.
"By the time I turned around he was already on the ground laying on his back. I ran to him as well as other firefighters and we started evaluating him we determined he was not breathing and unconscious and we started CPR," said Riccioti.
The three men say their emergency training kicked in and they worked together to save Captain Hirsch's life.
Everyone is trained in the same way. We are taught CPR in the same way and everything just clicked all at once," said Ricciotti.
More than a month after that fateful day Longport and Shore Memorial Hospital honored the three men and the other rescue workers who helped save Captain Hirsch's life.
"You feel proud obviously and I've known Rich and his family for quite sometime and being able to know that you played a part in keeping him alive it's a pretty good feeling," said Maher.
After this experience Captain Hirsch has a new outlook on life.
"Everyday is a gift," said Hirsch.
Longport also recognized the following emergency responders for their excpetional service:
Asst. Chief Bruce Funk, Capt. Anthony Vicchiarelli, Firefighter Thomas Flynn, Capt. Thomas Shields...MCFD, Lt. William Hewitt...LPPD, Asst. Chief Dan Adams, Lt. Dan Greenberg, EMT Howard Axel, Lt. Tim Wainwright...MCFD, Firefighter Salvatore Provenzano, and Dispatcher Joseph Bongiovanni.
