By Jennifer Feehan
The Blade
TOLEDO, Ohio — In zero visibility conditions, Toledo Fire Capt. Luke Harman described for a jury in Lucas County Common Pleas Court today how he crawled on his hands and knees, feeling with his hands every inch in front of him when he felt what would turn out to be a face mask.
“My hand dipped into an opening in the debris and grabbed what was without a doubt a human leg,” he said.
Captain Harman called for help, and with other firefighters pulled Pvt. James Dickman from the Magnolia Street apartment building where a Jan. 26, 2014 fire would claim the lives of Mr. Dickman, 31, and Pvt. Stephen Machcinski, 42.
He gave his account of the rescue effort on the third full day of testimony in the trial of Ray Abou-Arab, 64, of Oregon, who is accused of setting fire to the North Toledo building he owned.
Mr. Abou-Arab is charged with two counts each of aggravated murder and murder, eight counts of aggravated arson, and a single count of tampering with evidence stemming from the fatal fire.
Prosecutors contend Mr. Abou-Arab was having financial difficulties and set the fire to collect on a $420,000 insurance policy.
Captain Harman, who joined the fire department in 2000, said the Magnolia Street fire was the first time he had heard a Mayday transmission — a signal that a firefighter is in distress.
Although he was in charge of the rapid intervention team that was in place to help in just such an event, he told the jury he and his team members could not immediately enter the burning building after hearing the Mayday calls because of the intense heat.
“We got water. They cooled it off, and we entered,” he said, adding that he didn’t know how much time passed before they entered but that it seemed “like forever.”
Captain Harman said after getting Mr. Dickman on a cot and into a life squad, he and his crew members changed their nearly depleted oxygen canisters and headed back into the second-floor door where they’d brought Mr. Dickman out. As they were entering, he said, other firefighters had found Mr. Machcinski, so they helped carry him out as well.
His and other firefighter testimony has been emotional — for fire crews and for family members of the two fallen firefighters watching the trial. It is expected to continue through next week.
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