Despite zero visibility, and despite the fact that the fire was still burning inside the basement, the men went inside to search for a missing child.
When Chews Landing Fire Marshal Kenneth Young arrived on the scene of a reported house fire, he was greeted by a screaming woman. Young had been on his way to a scheduled building inspection, but changed his direction when he heard about the blaze. The woman told him that there was a child trapped in the home's basement.
"It's a unique situation," the Chews Landing, N.J. Fire Marshal says. "You start going through your mind what has to be done. You never know what you're going to face; you prepare for the worst."
As other firefighters began preparing to tackle the flames, Young and Firefighter Albert Adomanis went to the back of the house. They were met by patrol officers from the police department who told them that they had tried to get into the smoky basement to rescue the child, but were driven out by the extreme conditions.
Without a charged line the two men made the decision to go in after the child.
"We were the first two back there," Adomanis says. "That's why we went in."
Despite zero visibility, and despite the fact that the fire was still burning inside the basement, the men went inside. They heard the child's cries and, after searching a bit, located him and carried him to safety.
The child sustained burns over 87 percent of his body, and was recently transported to a local burn center to undergo continued treatment.
The two firefighters eschew praise for their own actions, instead focusing on the young victim.
"We were fortunate enough to pull the kid out before conditions got any worse," says Adomanis. "He's the one who has to go through rehab. We know he has a long way to go and our thoughts are with him."
Both men refuse to take personal credit for their heroic efforts, saying it was due to the efforts of everyone on the scene that the fire didn't have a more tragic ending.
"It was a group effort," says Young. "It's good to know that you have good, qualified guys with you."
"Looking back on that, we got there quick, got a handline stretched back there, everything clicked real well that day," says Adomanis. "Everything worked as it should."
Despite their humble words, Fire Administrator Greg Karas emphasizes how extraordinary Young and Adomanis' efforts were that day.
"Both Al and Ken have been very humble from day one," he says. "I was fortunate enough to drive the truck so I saw everything first hand. They deserve everything they get."
