College Point in Queens, New York, witnessed a heroic act on September 12th when a two-story residential building caught fire. In the midst of zero visibility due to thick smoke, a probationary firefighter named Palmer from the New York City Fire Department bravely conducted a search and discovered a 65-year-old man lying unresponsive in a bathroom. Without hesitation, he carried the man out of the burning building, saving his life.
The fire broke out around 6:20 a.m. at 15-11 124th Street in College Point, escalating rapidly to a two-alarm fire. Police sources indicated that the fire may have been triggered by a man inside the house who was smoking and self-harmed. By the time firefighters arrived, the house was filled with dense smoke and flames. Within a short span of 10 minutes, the fire advanced to a two-alarm level, prompting the deployment of 25 units and approximately 120 firefighters and emergency personnel to the scene for fire suppression and evacuation efforts.
Amid the race against time during the rescue operation, probationary firefighter John Palmer, hailing from Whitestone at Engine Company 144, exhibited bravery by searching through zero visibility caused by thick smoke to ensure all occupants were safely evacuated. He found the 65-year-old man unresponsive in the bathroom and risked his own safety to carry him out of the burning structure.
Following the rescue, the man saved by Palmer experienced a sudden cardiac arrest and even had another cardiac arrest while being transferred to an ambulance. However, with the collective efforts of Palmer, other firefighters, and EMS emergency responders, his pulse was eventually restored. He was promptly transported to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital where he is currently showing signs of improvement.
The incident resulted in injuries to five individuals: one severe, one moderate, and three minor, all of whom have been hospitalized for treatment. Jonathan Mejia, a 33-year-old involved in the incident due to self-harm, was taken to the hospital and later arrested on charges related to arson and other offenses.
Officials from the Fire Department stated that without Palmer’s courageous actions, the outcome for the 65-year-old man could have been drastically different. The Fire Department, in a released statement, commended Palmer and all on-site firefighters for their bravery and professionalism, emphasizing that “it was their fearlessness and quick response that saved a precious life.”