By Jamie Thompson
FireRescue1 Senior Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — A California fire captain who rescued two children from a fire he spotted while driving to the firehouse to begin his shift was acknowledged for his bravery Wednesday.
Capt. Eric Hankins, of the Yuba City Fire Department, was only wearing his regular clothes when he entered the smoke-filled studio apartment.
He was presented with the Ray Downey Courage and Valor Award during the opening ceremony at FDIC in Indianapolis for the rescues.
After saving the two children and confirming no one else was inside the structure, he put on his PPE and waited for the first-due engine to arrive so he could begin attacking the fire. Once extinguished, he was transported to the hospital for observation and treatment for minor smoke inhalation.
The award was presented by the two sons of Deputy Chief Ray Downey, a chief of rescue operations and 39-year veteran of the FNDY, who was killed while commanding rescue operations at the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11.
“By remaining calm and focused even though he himself had no protection from the fire, his actions exemplify highest traditions of the fire service,” FDNY Batallion Chief Joe Downey said.
His brother, Chuck, also an FDNY batallion chief, said Capt. Hankins’ actions demonstrated both his training and dedication.
The pair outlined how Capt. Hankins was alerted to the fact there were trapped occupants in the studio. As he walked up the staircase, the mother of the children who had been walking down the street began screaming and running toward him when she spotted the smoke.
When she reached the top of the stairs, Capt. Hankins pulled her back for her own safety because of the fire conditions.
Despite not speaking English, the woman was able to signal that she had a child trapped in the fire.
He crawled inside the structure, and despite visibility being down to only six to 12 inches of the floor, he was able to find the 3-year-old boy.
But when Capt. Hankins carried him outside to safety, the mother was able to explain another child was trapped so he was forced to reenter. He was able to locate the 1-year-old girl, carry her to safety and escorted the family to an ambulance that had just arrived.
Accepting the award, Capt. Hankins said he felt deeply honored to receive it.
“I was honestly just doing what I thought was my job,” he said. “To even have my name mentioned in the same sentence of Chief Downey is an honor beyond belief.”