Latest news with #DavidJennings
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Firefighters recount saving people from Fall River fire and how they're supporting each other
More than five days after the deadly Gabriel House fire in Fall River, Massachusetts, firefighters reflect on response and their own recovery and the toll it takes on their mental health. Fall River Lt. Paul Machado arrived on the scene at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility and saw utter chaos last Sunday night. "Almost every window had somebody in there screaming for help and we switched to ground ladder rescue operations and started taking people out," said Machado. District Fire Chief David Jennings said he fought back the urge to have tunnel vision as dozens of people called for help. He directed his firefighters to put multiple ladders against the building at a time. "Some of the larger patients we had to throw a second ladder side by side, just to be able to get the patient down safely," said Jennings. Captain Frank O'Reagan was called in off-duty. He responded to the scene without his breathing apparatus but decided to assist with searches on the third floor of the building where rescues were still happening, 40 minutes after crews arrived on the scene. "I forget what the order was but like, another body. I just couldn't believe it. I'm like, there's another one," O'Reagan said. "By that time, I'm really starting to like cough and gag and I went back and then I saw an arm and I just yelled and then two guys with tanks on and masks just kind of bowled me over and grabbed the person." It has been over five days since the fire that killed nine residents and sent roughly 30 people to the hospital. WBZ-TV spoke with four firefighters about their experiences and how they are processing what happened. "And then you go home and you lay down to try and sleep and then you're wide awake, as exhausted as you are," Machado said. "For me it was like, ah, jeez, and I'm sure for many of the guys, like what could we have done more to save more people, like second guessing ourselves," Jennings said. Lt. Jason Burns is a Fall River fire fighter who responded to the scene. He is also a chief peer support firefighter for his district, helping other first responders with their mental health. "It's helping your teammates get through some difficult times through the eyes of someone who's done your job," said Burns about his peer support responsibilities. Burns is also the executive director of the Last Call Foundation, a non-profit working to improve safety conditions for firefighters. The organization is also funding research on first responder PTSD. Burns, a 30-year member of the Fall River Fire Department, said processing the Gabriel House fire is difficult. "Emotional", he said, "those are my guys." Fall River firefighters lost one of their own from suicide just over a decade ago. Even after Sunday's exhausting rescues, they said they are still determined to rescue each other. "I'm one of the most stoic compartmentalization-type people but I'm being better at saying 'Hey, I'm not doing well,'" Burns said. "Call everybody in two months, call everybody in six months, a year down the road because once this interaction with the community, once all the media's gone, it's us," Machado said.
The Citizen
11-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Dave's five decades of surfing and riding waves
David Jennings has been in the surfing space for the past 52 years, in which competitions and coaching have been his passion. Although as a young man he once tapped into the military, the wave bug always chased him. For decades, he doubled as a surfer as well as a surfing retail go-to man. 'Being in both retail and active surfing felt natural. I was in a space I was deeply passionate about, and felt at home. Even today, as a coach, I still surf and compete. But my greatest love is in grooming and mentoring younger surfers and coaches. I run lessons for individuals as well as groups,' said Jennings. He worries about the 'lost skills' whereby the younger generation is either emigrating or has less passion for surfing. However, he believes that people like him have a solid role to play to ensure that surfing lives forever throughout generations. Also read: Osborn ripping waves of fortitude 'Mentorship is my way of giving back. I coach surfers as young as five years old upwards, across all races and physical abilities. This gives me hope that the next generation of surfers is alive,' he added. Jennings was a runner-up in the SA National Longboard Championship in 2017 and 2024. He will again participate in 2026. 'My dream is to coach more scholars, that is where the root of talent is. Although I have recognised that some learners face challenges with surfing kits and transport, we always try to mitigate those challenges through corporate sponsorships. 'Coaching is my life-long dream and I hope I will be able to take my skills as a travelling coach across the globe.' Jennings advises to 'love what you do, and do what you love', and he believes that good leadership and motivation breed positive, long-lasting results. For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
