March 29, 2007

Firefighters hailed as heroes

       Furnace heat rushed at two White River Township firefighters after they kicked in a patio door in March, 2006.  They knew an elderly woman was huddled in a corner across the room but couldn't see her through the smoke from flaming furniture and piles of clothes.  They forged ahead as flames climbed up the wall to the ceiling.  Mike Shoemaker and Jason Tibbetts, who both suffered second- and third-degree burns during the rescue, insist they were just doing their duty when they stormed into a 1,000-degree blaze to carry 77-year-old Fern Carter to safety in a Center Grove area subdivision last year.

         The Indiana Senate recognized the pair with a commendation presented Tuesday by State Sen. Brent Waltz, who represents Greenwood. The firefighters will be inducted into the Red Cross Hall of Fame during a ceremony at 9:30 a.m. today at the Center Grove High School auditorium.

         Shoemaker and Tibbetts had just finished breakfast as their shift was winding down a Saturday last March when they were alerted to a house fire in the El Dorado I subdivision. They also heard that it was possible someone was trapped inside.  As they rushed to the scene, they mentally went over what they needed to do. They planned to pull out the length of the hose and blast water on the fire once the ladder crew had found the trapped person inside and cleared the room.  They had to throw out the game plan.  Their truck was the first on the scene, and they were greeted by a police officer who knew where the woman was trapped. The pair headed around to the back and kicked down a patio door to her bedroom.  Flames crawled up the walls. Piles of clothes around the woman's bed were burning. The heat bore down on the men.  "It would have baked a potato if you had put it in your pocket," Tibbetts said.  A dresser blocked the way into the room and the exit they'd need to use to evacuate her. They still didn't see the woman through the flames and smoke.  Tibbetts, a third-generation firefighter, yanked drawers out of the dresser and hurled them out the door. Shoemaker, a 17-year veteran, saw Carter curled in the fetal position in a corner in a state of shock.  Shoemaker picked her up, cradling her to protect her from the flames with his body. Tibbetts shoved the dresser out of the way and lifted her legs.  They passed Carter to emergency personnel, who took her to Wishard Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis.  Carter, who suffered third-degree burns over 80 percent of her body, died of her injuries around midnight. An investigation found that the fire started when the lifelong smoker lit up a cigarette in bed while connected to an oxygen tank.  The fire melted Shoemaker's helmet and the face piece on his air mask. His protective hood, normally a cream color, was charred black and riddled with burn holes.  The pain started to throb as the adrenaline wore down.  Tibbetts manned the fire hose for about a minute before his ears started to aggravate him. He followed Shoemaker out to the front lawn. His radio, oxygen tank and jacket were all burned. Tibbetts discovered the fire had melted his helmet, radio and airpack.

         Both men were sent to the burn treatment center at Wishard. Shoemaker suffered second-degree burns on both ears and his shoulder and third-degree burns on his right ear and back. Tibbetts suffered first- and second-degree burns to his ears.  Scars mark Shoemaker's back and ear, and he dreads finding out how sensitive they are to the sun this summer.  His month-long recovery from his burns proved painful.  He was prescribed a burn ointment that ate through the burned tissue, which hurt so much it brought him to his knees the first time it was applied. His wife, Michelle, flinched every time she applied it to his back, hating to think she was causing him pain, he said.  Shoemaker had trouble sleeping. He couldn't rest on his burned back or either side because of his burned ears. The pain would jolt him awake.

         The rescue haunted Tibbetts for months. He wondered if they could have been a little faster or done anything else that would have saved Carter.  Both men have second-guessed themselves but know they gave her the best possible chance of surviving.  Both are grateful for the honor.  Many others have put their lives at risk in the line of duty, Shoemaker and Tibbetts said.  "I'm proud of what I did, but I just did my job," Shoemaker said. "It's what I'd expect others to do for me if the situation were reversed."  They shrug off the rescue, but others don't.  The award ceremony will recognize 11 people from central Indiana who put their lives at risk to save others last year, including seven police officers and two civilians. Firefighters consider the hall of fame a high honor, Battalion Chief Jim Engmark said.  Many firefighters have ribbed the pair, calling them heroes around the station. But they still ask Shoemaker and Tibbetts to recount the rescue to the tiniest detail.  Tibbetts said he appreciates the recognition but was most proud when his 8-year-old daughter Aunika called him her hero.  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)

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