COLUMBUS, Ohio –
Five Defense Logistics Agency Installation Management Columbus Fire and Emergency Services personnel are being credited with saving several lives in an apartment blaze earlier this month near Defense Supply Center Columbus.
Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Barder, Firefighter/Emergency Management Technician Chester Jenkins, Fire Inspector Bob Watkins and Firefighter/Paramedics Richard Aldrich and Jason Brown were all on duty the evening of Nov. 7 when a call came in just before midnight from the neighboring city of Whitehall.
A fire had broken out on the third floor of a 48-unit apartment building in the 4200 block of East Broad Street about a half a mile from DSCC’s gates. Barder said residents were reportedly jumping from several windows to escape the blaze. DLA Columbus immediately responded, sending Ladder 154 and Battalion 154 to the scene.
Upon arrival, Whitehall Division of Fire units established incident command and control and assigned fire ground control operations to the DLA Columbus team led by Barder. Additional responding agencies included Columbus, Truro Township and Mifflin Township, who Barder directed in fire control, search and rescue and ventilation until the incident’s conclusion.
As crews initially prepared to enter the structure, Jenkins said the fire spread to the second floor and heavy smoke made apartment hallways impassable.
Jenkins and Watkins placed a 28-foot ground ladder while Aldrich placed a 16-foot ground ladder against the exterior of the building to evacuate trapped residents. Barder said DLA Columbus firefighters initially conducted two rescues, one on each side of the building. Aldrich rescued a man out of his apartment window as Jenkins and Watkins assisted a woman out of her window and directed them to medical personnel once they were on the ground.
“This was a large fire with a lot of moving parts,” Jenkins recalled.
Brown assisted Whitehall paramedics in loading a resident into an ambulance who had jumped from the third floor. He also joined in search and rescue efforts after helping connect several hoses to fire hydrants on scene to establish a continuous water supply.
After DLA Columbus personnel assisted in several more rescues and the main fire was under control, Barder directed units to conduct a thorough search of the building to locate and extinguish any remaining pockets of fire, embers or smoldering materials which could potentially reignite.
Barder said all residents made it out of the building and those rescued reportedly only sustained minor injuries.
“Everyone on the scene that night worked together seamlessly, demonstrating exceptional teamwork,” Barder said.
Reflecting on the incident, Aldrich said, “Our team got to help the community in a way that not all Defense Department firefighters get the opportunity to do. This will be an experience that I will never forget.”
Jenkins credited the smooth execution and successful resolution to the ongoing collaborative training between DLA Columbus and Whitehall. The two agencies share a mutual aid agreement to respond when called for assistance. The training is critical to their ability to support one another on calls.
“Regular training with mutual aid partners helps ensure seamless integration when a major incident happens,” Jenkins said. “And it increases the possibility of a successful outcome during a real incident by ensuring all personnel are on the same level and understanding of how operations are conducted.”
Aldrich agreed.
“A strength of our department is that we have many personnel who have served in many different places and have a host of different experiences. When we train together and share those experiences, it makes us all a little more prepared to respond quickly and effectively in a real-world situation,” he said.
So far in 2024, DLA Columbus firefighters responded to 311 emergency calls which included 87 fire related incidents and 216 emergency medical incidents. Of the calls, 128 were on Defense Supply Center Columbus and 183 were mutual aid calls in the local Whitehall community.
“I commend the bravery and swift actions of our Fire and Emergency Services personnel, whose skill and dedication made a critical difference in extinguishing the fire and rescuing trapped residents,” said Randy Shirey, DLA Columbus fire chief. “Their heroic actions are a true testament to the dedication and purpose that drives our firefighters, reflecting the highest standards of our service.”