04-02-2025
Two Rural Metro firefighters honored for rescuing woman trapped inside a house fire in December
KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — Two Rural Metro firefighters were honored for their heroic actions during a mobile home fire in December. Lt. Cameron Rood and Firefighter Nick Johnson received the Corona Civica Award, the highest award given in fire service.
On December 6, 2024, Rural Metro responded to a mobile home fire on Keith Way Lane in the Halls Community.
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'We arrived on the scene and had moderate smoke coming from the single wide trailer,' Rood with Rural Metro said. 'There was a daughter of the woman trapped inside on the front porch saying 'get her out get her out', talking about her mother.'
Rood and Johnson knew they didn't have much time, so the pair grabbed protective equipment and went inside the home.
'We took the handline inside and right as we were going inside. I could hear her scream and that was the last time I really heard her scream, so I knew with that information and the information of the occupant where she was going to be and she was right where we were told,' said Johnson.
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The two found the woman near the hallway and carrying her outside.
'We made a left hand search and found her very quickly,' Rood said. 'She was still semi-conscious she was coughing from the smoke.'
The woman was taken to the hospital where she survived.
Though to some their actions were exception, to them it is just part of the job.
'It's what we enjoy doing,' Rood said. 'When there's not a victim that sort of takes a level of stress of the event. When there's reports of a victim we sort of flip a switch.'
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Both tell 6 News they appreciate the recognition.
'Everybody in our department would have done the same thing,' Johnson said. 'We're just the outlier that we got the call, I can assure you that everybody would have done the same thing we did. We just were the ones in the shoes at that moment.'
'It's a really good feeling, its what we train to do,' Rood said. 'It's exceedingly rare to rescue a live victim from a house fire.'
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