Firefighters Rescue Injured Worker Atop 150-Foot Cell Tower in Burleson, TX
A mutual aid effort led to the successful rescue of a worker who was trapped near the top of a 150-foot cell phone tower in Burleson Friday.
Burleson firefighters were called out after workers came in contact with power lines and were injured on North Burleson Boulevard.
Two workers were able to get to safety on their own, but their criticially injured colleage was still 15 stories in their air, dangling from a a rope system.
During the rescue efforts, the Fort Worth Fire Department was called to assist with their high angle rescue team, fire officials told Firehouse.com. They responded with nearly a dozen units, includng chiefs and apparatus.
Power was shut-off to nearby structures to reduce any risks to rescuers and their victim.
"After a collaborative plan was created, a rescue team ascended up the pole. The team was comprised of one firefighter from Burleson and one from Fort Worth to build the systems that would be needed to safely lower the injured contractor back down," Fort Worth Fire Department shared on Facebook.
The injured worker was lowered to the ground just before 4 p.m., nearly four hours after firefighters arrived.
The man was taken to the hospital for treatment.
"I'm proud of the teamwork between Burleson and Fort Worth firefighters to rescue the workers," spokesman Craig Trojacek told Firehouse.com. "These technical rescue incidents are complex and, when well coordinated based on training and communication, have a successful outcome like we had today."
Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department.
