IAFF local 3035

Murfreesboro firefighters Davey Ferrell and Alan Farrar found an unresponsive man in June inside his smoke-filled Indian Park condo.

Ferrell immediately started rescue breathing on the man while Farrar checked his vital signs to see if he would respond.

"He had a faint pulse," Ferrell recalled.

The firefighters, who are also certified emergency medical technicians, struggled to keep the man alive for about 10 to 15 minutes until paramedics arrived.

"Right when the ambulance pulled up, he started responding," Farrar said. "I was relieved that he was still alive and he had a chance."

Saving the man's life earned Ferrell and Farrar honors recently as Murfreesboro Firefighters Association Firefighters of the Year for 2006.

They received plaques of recognition Friday from association President Keith Bratcher, Vice President Bubba Jones and Treasurer John Avaritt.

Avaritt said Ferrell and Farrar were chosen because of their life-saving efforts.

"Pulling someone out of a fire is why we're here," Avaritt said. "We're trained to pull people out of fires and do medical skills."

Jones, a fire department captain, supervises Ferrell and Farrar from the South Church Street fire station.
"If they hadn't worked on him, he would have been gone," Jones said.

The man, who is a retired paramedic from Nashville, called and thanked Ferrell and Farrar after being released from the hospital.

When firefighters arrived, they found the smoky residence with the man inside. They moved him outside and started medical response while other firefighters extinguished the fire.

Apparently, the man smoked on his back porch and dropped the cigarette onto his oxygen tank tubing.

The tubing ignited and spread into his home.

Firefighters didn't know anyone was home. They were surprised to find the unresponsive man inside after neighbors saw the smoke and called the fire department.

Both Ferrell and Farrar said it felt good to save a life, especially when their patient called to report he recovered. Both firefighters have saved lives before.

Jones said he was proud of the firefighters.

"This goes on every day in Murfreesboro where firefighters are saving lives," Jones said. "This is an example when everything goes right."

Bratcher said firefighters don't expect to save lives and property when they come to work daily.

"I think these guys reacted to what they're trained to do," Bratcher said. "We're glad they saved a life.

They truly stand out in a life-saving incident."

Farrar and Ferrell, like many firefighters, are humble and don't want credit for doing their job.
"I'm proud of Davey and Alan," Bratcher said. "They make Murfreesboro Fire Department proud. If somebody saved my life, I don't know how I could ever repay them."

Lisa Marchesoni may be reached at 869-0814 or at lmarchesoni@murfreesboropost.com.