New Orleans firefighters rescued a 1-year-old boy from a two-alarm fire Friday night (Sept. 30), passing him through a window and then reviving him with CPR at a St. Bernard area duplex, according to the New Orleans Fire Department.
The fire started just before 7:30 p.m. and seriously damaged the home, located in the 1300 block of Sere Street.
Firefighters arrived to the scene within four minutes of receiving a 911 call reporting the fire, the NOFD said. The caller alerted the dispatcher that there might be people trapped inside the burning home.
When firefighters arrived, a woman told them her 1-year-old son was still inside their home, part of a wood-framed duplex with its front porch and front rooms enveloped in flames.
The woman showed the firefighters to the bedroom where the baby remained trapped inside, and firefighters began helping neighbors who were already working to remove an air-conditioning unit from the bedroom window.
Once the unit was removed, a firefighter climbed through the window and found the baby, who was not breathing. The rescuer then handed the child to firefighters outside, who immediately began CPR.
After the boy was revived, firefighters handed him over to EMS for transport to Children’s Hospital, according to the NOFD.
“As NOFD members were conducting the successful rescue others began aggressively attacking the fire,” according to a news release from the fire department.
“I can’t speak enough about the actions of our guys tonight,” said New Orleans fire chief Timothy McConnell in a news release. “Quick thinking, experience and skill saved the life of this child tonight, and this family and community are eternally grateful.”
Only the mother and child were home at the time of the fire. The other side of the double was vacant, the NOFD said.
Firefighters brought the fire under control within 17 minutes of their arrival to the scene. With 16 NOFD units and 40 personnel, firefighters were able to rescue the baby while also containing the fire to the front porch and two front rooms of the duplex, the NOFD said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Watch the report HERE››
