How firefighters deal with tragedy on the job
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - We know the story of five children dying in a South Bend house fire has impacted so many of our viewers and the families involved.
Not to mention, the emotional and mental toll this is having on those firefighters and first responders who attempted to rescue them.
For them, it was more than a temporary battle. It is without a doubt the beginning of a longer one — mentally and emotionally — for them, the family of the many victims and for those who survived.
Lauren Moss and Joshua Short spoke with Gerard Ellis, assistant chief of fire prevention for the South Bend Fire Department, for some perspective, as Ellis was on scene Sunday night as this tragic story unfolded.
“It’s very somber. Obviously, with the fire department, we never want to experience this,” Ellis said. “We train for it, but we want to rescue people. We never want to recover individuals.”
The loss of five children is devastating, and it’s an emotion not lost on those on scene overnight.
“We have some local professionals that are great,” Ellis said. “They work with public safety, they know our jobs, and internally we have pure support team members. Just about every one of those members was on scene last night. So, the benefits are there. And throughout this week, we’re going to be working with all the firefighters involved in it and making sure they have the resources available.”
You can watch Lauren and Josh’s full interview with Ellis in the video attached below:
Copyright 2024 WNDU. All rights reserved.
