Harris Township supervisors on Monday honored the first responders who took swift action to rescue a woman from her burning apartment and extinguish the blaze last month.
Boalsburg, Alpha and Centre Hall fire companies, Centre LifeLink EMS and State College police responded to the fire on Jan. 14 fire at Centre Estates, 501 Jacks Mill Drive, where a resident was trapped inside her apartment.
Matt Myers, an assistant fire chief for Mifflintown Fire Company in Juniata County who was driving a Heller Gas truck on Route 322, also saw the fire “and jumped right into the scene, laying hose lines, moving ladders and doing anything he could to assist the crews on scene,” township Manager Amy Farkas said.
“We are thankful that there are people like him in our world,” Supervisor Frank Harden said while reading one of three proclamations during Monday night’s board meeting.
After the call was dispatched at 2:53 p.m., Boalsburg Fire Chief Van Winter was first to arrive on the scene, finding heavy smoke and a working fire. Centre County 9-1-1 then confirmed a resident was trapped inside.
As Boalsburg crews began laying a hydrant line and making entry into the building, State College police officers saw a hand extended from a second-floor window, Winter said as he recounted the details of the incident. Boalsburg firefighter Robert Cinatl grabbed a ladder and brought it to the location, and a police officer went up and broke open the window.
Boalsburg Fire Company Assistant Chief Eric Garis arrived and made his way up to the second floor, where he found the woman in her bedroom. Cinatl climbed to the top of the ladder and Alpha Fire Company Capt. Rob Neese, whose crew had just arrived on scene, climbed up behind him. Garis got the woman out through the window and Cinatl and Neese brought her down.
Centre LifeLink EMS personnel tended to the victim and called for a medical helicopter. The helicopter was delayed, so EMS took her by ambulance to Mount Nittany Medical Center and she was later flown by Life Flight to Geisinger Medical Center.
Alpha Fire Company crews opened the roof of the building to get smoke out of the attic, and Centre Hall Fire Company, which had established a helicopter landing zone, returned to the scene to assist with overhaul.
“It was a group effort by all agencies on scene, and very little communications,” Winter said. “Everyone did what they were trained to do and by nature did what needed to be done.”
Each agency and Myers were recognized with proclamations. Boalsburg’s recognition specifically cited Garis, Cinatl, Assistant Chief Nate Frey, Capt. Greg Alters and firefighter Austin Owens as “instrumental in saving the life of the resident.”
“We are grateful to have highly qualified and well-trained responders in our area,” Harden said.
