Reading Eagle
EXETER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Exeter Township firefighters rescued an unconscious man from a burning home this morning, Fire Chief Robert F. Jordan said.
Firefighters responded to 218 Grande Valley Road after the man called 911 about 7:45 a.m. to report a kitchen fire. After finding heavy smoke coming from the rear of the home, they forced their way inside. Firefighters found the man unconscious on the kitchen floor and carried him to a waiting ambulance.
“I can’t say enough of how proud I am of the guys,” Jordan said. “I get goose bumps over a fire like this. This is what they train — for quick response.”
The victim was taken to Reading Hospital, and early reports were that he was expected to survive, Jordan said.
The victim, whose name was being withheld, resides in the rented home with this wife and two children, Jordan said. He called 911 to report the kitchen fire and lost consciousness while talking with a dispatcher. The dispatcher kept the line open and relayed to firefighters that a victim was possibly trapped in the building.
Crews quickly extinguished the flames.
The township fire marshal’s office is investigating how the fire started.
The quick response that gave firefighters a chance at a rescue speaks volumes for having firefighters in place at the station, Jordan said. The firefighters who arrived first were paid personnel. Other firefighters, who are volunteers, responded from their homes or workplaces.
Exeter Fire Department personnel were assisted by crews from Reading Fire Department and the Mount Penn, Lower Alsace and West Reading fire companies
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