LEHIGH COUNTY, Pa. — Three Wilkes-Barre firefighters and one Shenandoah police officer are being awarded by the Burn Prevention Network at DeSales University for their acts of courage while on duty.
In February, Captain Eric Anderson and firefighters Ralph Graham and Richard Machey responded to a fire at B'nai B'rith, a 12-story senior living apartment building in Wilkes-Barre.
"The fire was definitely different; it came in as a high-rise, one of the high-rise buildings that we knew, and from there, you know there's going to be a lot of people, very high risk and high occupancy of elderly people," said Eric Anderson, Wilkes-Barre Fire Captain.
Captain Anderson, along with firefighters Graham and Machey, saved an unconscious woman by carrying her through heavy smoke and fire.
The Wilkes-Barre Fire Department helped 146 people evacuate from the building that day, everyone survived.
"There were a lot of people, a lot of moving parts in this fire, and if it wasn't for all of them working together, it never would have worked out like it did, so yeah, we don't take the credit for it," said Captain Anderson.
"The heroes are the guys that are with me, the guys and girls; we have female firefighters that are just as tough, and if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be standing here today," said Ralph Machey, Wilkes-Barre Firefighter.
Shenandoah Police Officer Mark Hysock responded to a house fire in late December last year.
When he got to the scene, he found out that an 18-month-old baby was trapped in the attic, and firefighters hadn't arrived yet.
"Just kicked in, we had to run in there, and we were fortunate enough to be able to make it to the attic before I had to get down and crawl, and we were able to crawl into the room and grab the child and bring the child out to safety," said Officer Mark Hysock, Shenandoah Police Department.
He's being awarded not only for saving the child, but because he did so despite having any no protective gear.
"It took a lot for me to come here, a lot of pressure from my friends. It was just another day to me, I would do it again if the opportunity presented itself, which hopefully it doesn't," said Officer Hysock.