VIDEO: Belvidere Fire Department Lt. Dan Drall was among the first on scene when the ceiling collapsed on people in a packed metal concert at the Apollo Theatre.
Immediately, he said, firefighters jumped into action. "The first five minutes dictates the next five hours of the scene. We've always talked about that. In those first five minutes, these guys just excelled," Drall said.
He quickly realized the structure was compromised after a tornado tore off the marquee. He had to make the life-altering decision of sending firefighters into the unstable building that could cave in any moment.
"That's the hardest thing an officer has to do, is to command somebody to go inside. This is my brother, this is my sister. This is family. I'm putting them in harm's way," Drall said. It's a decision that, days later, still weighs heavy on him.