Pa. deputy chief killed in aerial ladder malfunction

Name: Michael Crotty
Date: April 8
City: Lawrence Park , Pa.
Cause: Deputy Chief Crotty was acting as incident commander at a plastics factory fire. He was on the ground when an aerial ladder malfunctioned, causing his fatal injuries. Officials did not elaborate.

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I completely agree. More pats on the shoulder might help reunite some with the joy of simply helping others. In one of the best feel-good calls that I remember, we arrived at a possible structure and found an older woman whose heater had set off the smoke alarms. The woman and her daughter kept apologizing for the false alarm. Some of the guys viewed it as an easy $20 (we are volunteers paid per call) but I walked away knowing that the two women apologizing over and over were just saying "thank you." Getting paid is just icing on the cake.

— Fireman8574