VILLAGE OF CATSKILL, N.Y. — Helmet camera video shared by the Catskill Fire Company shows the moment a firefighter fell through a staircase while battling a house fire on May 10.
The video shows the stairs giving way, sending the firefighter into the basement. It also captures a lieutenant’s efforts to locate the firefighter after the fall, WRGB reported.
| MORE: ‘I’m trapped in the basement’: Lessons from my personal mayday experience
Firefighter Will Rogers was advancing a hoseline to the second floor when the stairs collapsed, dropping him into the basement. He called a mayday moments later.
Helmet camera video shows Lieutenant Ben Swart calling out for Rogers and breaking through debris as he searched the collapsed stairwell.
The department described the incident on social media, saying it showed how quickly conditions can change. Officials said crews responded as trained, but the incident underscored that no fire should be considered routine.
The department said the incident exposed lessons, including that the mayday was not cleared after Rogers got out safely.
Rogers had good visibility in the basement and escaped on his own, but Swart lost verbal contact and did not know he was safe. The department said the incident hit Swart hard because he had responded years earlier to a fatal firefighter mayday.
Rogers was evaluated at a hospital and is in good spirits.
Does your department review helmet camera footage for training? Share how your agency uses video to identify lessons learned and improve firefighter safety.
