Is the gear firefighters use safe? Two weeks ago, a Youngstown firefighter was sent to the hospital after being injured when his mask fell off. A leader in the department says the equipment isn’t the problem.
Two weeks ago, Youngstown Firefighter William Palma had to be rushed to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.
“In the course of putting out the fire, weakened portions of the first floor were present,” said Youngstown Battalion Chief John Lightly.
Palma fell through the first floor to the basement of a house on Kensington Avenue. When he hit the basement floor, his mask was off and he was breathing in smoke and toxic gases.
“It quickly causes all the tissue in your lungs to start to swell. When the trachea swells, it shuts off, closing off the air supply and, basically, you can suffocate,” Lightly said.