IRONTON, Ohio (WCHS) — Members of the Ironton High School football team are being praised after stepping up to help firefighters in need of helping hands.
A 911 call was sent out for a fully-involved house fire over the weekend. A crew of four men were working against freezing conditions and short water supply to battle the blaze.
“We immediately realized it was a serious situation. I got there pretty quickly after the truck,” Ironton Fire Chief Michael Mahlmeister recalled. “The fire was coming out of the front windows. We needed to establish water supplies.”
Coal Grove firefighters responded to the scene, along with an unexpected source of aid.
“Five young, fresh faces walked up – actually ran up to me – and asked, ‘Is there anything we can do?’” Mahlmeister said.
The fire chief instructed the youth to help run hoses around the block to access another hydrant while keeping a safe distance from the fire.
Mahlmeister said the boys remained on scene for hours and assisted with cleanup efforts.
“These boys do deserve some recognition,” he said. “They stepped up and decided to do something good for their community as opposed to being out and being little troublemakers.”
As the football players are back in school and training for the upcoming season, first responders learned what it means to be an Ironton Tiger.
“A lot of times, people don’t give kids credit nowadays for doing civic-minded things. They jumped in and just wanted to lend a hand,” Mahlmeister said. “Hopefully it could inspire some of them to become future firefighters.”
Firefighters told Eyewitness News the family living in the home was able to escape the blaze unharmed.
The Knights of Columbus are accepting donations for the family of four as the home was deemed a total loss.
Clothing and supplies may be dropped off at 2101 South Third Street in Ironton.
This content is reposted from the source: https://wchstv.com/news/local/ironton-football-players-help-first-responders-tackle-house-fire
