Eleven volunteer firefighters who helped locate and rescue a badly injured teenage boy from a burning home in Coaldale have been honored for their heroism.
Those firefighters — seven from Coaldale and four from Tamaqua — received medals of valor during a ceremony Monday night at the Coaldale Fire Department. They also received proclamations from the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives in honor of their actions.
Coaldale Fire Chief Steven Polischak, who was among those lauded, said that it seems to be the first time in Coaldale that firefighters had saved someone from a burning home.
The three-alarm fire began shortly before 7 p.m. on July 23 at 44 E. Howard Ave.
When firefighters arrived flames were visible from the rear of second and third floors, and there was a report of someone entrapped, Polischak said. Videos and photos from the scene show heavy flames leaping from the back of the residence and smoke pouring from the front.
Firefighters found the juvenile male inside and carried him out, where he was treated by EMS and then flown to the hospital. His 37-year-old father, who had tried to enter the home to reach his son but was forced back by smoke, suffered smoke inhalation, though he was less severely injured than his son, who remained hospitalized for some time. His name and his current condition were not available.
The fire heavily damaged 44 E. Howard, spread to the neighboring residence at 46 E. Howard Ave., and caused smoke damage to 48 E. Howard Ave., another attached residence.
Three others who were living in the home at 44 E. Howard Ave. were outside when the fire started and were displaced, including a 31-year-old woman, and two boys, a 1-year-old baby and a 7-year-old, troopers said.
A state police investigation showed that the fire began outside 44 E. Howard on its rear porch wall and was caused by an unattended citronella candle.
While three or four dozen firefighters from 19 different companies responded and helped control and extinguish the fire, it was the 11 men and women who were recognized on Monday who performed the search and rescue of the boy.
“It took a real team effort,” Polischak said.
In addition to the Coaldale chief, those recognized were Coaldale firefighters Matt Jungbaer, John Leinthall, Anthony Soberick, Kevin Soberick, Thomas Polischak, and Matthew Doerr, and Tamaqua firefighters Robert Coombe, Jarrett Reigel, Lauren Hill and Aaron McLaughlin.
The medal of valor is the highest award bestowed upon firefighters, presented to those who have demonstrated exceptional courage, unwavering determination and selfless heroism in the most perilous situations, Chief Polischak said.
“This incident serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of working smoke alarms and having a practiced home fire escape plan,” he said. “Fire officials urge all residents to regularly test smoke alarms and ensure everyone in the household knows at least two ways out of every room.”
State Sen. David Argall (R-29) was on hand to present the proclamation from the Senate, while a staff member of State Rep. Jamie Barton (R-124) presented the House proclamation.
“I was honored to congratulate these local heroes,” Argall said. “Hearing the accounts of the rescue was very moving and an important reminder of why supporting our volunteer firefighters is so important. They are always there for us during the worst moments of our lives.”
While firefighters don’t typically think of themselves as heroes, those who worked through the dark, smoky, dangerous conditions of the burning home to find the injured boy were in fact heroic, Polischak said.
“We’re here to protect lives and property, and that’s what we did,” he said. “Not everyone is made for this job. It takes a special type of person. But we did what we were trained to do.”