One of the rudimentary things we first learn in the volunteer fire service is to start your size up the moment your pager tones you out. Draw a mental image of where the call is, what type of building and its construction, what equipment will be needed etc. Another early lesson is to do size up virtually all the time, when you are driving through your neighborhood, when you enter a business, when you visit you kid’s school. This could prepare you for future alarms to these areas.
For a number of years I have done a size up of a parking lot behind a strip of stores in my town, Smithtown, on Long Island. The lot always seems to be in poor repair, dimly lit and pot hole laden. It always appeared to be an accident waiting to happen. Unfortunately on Sunday, the accident did happen, and it was deadly.
Seventeen year old Amiri Zeqiri, a college student, was working in a Dunkin Donuts. As on many other nights the owner asked Amiri to take the garbage out to the dumpster. A routine task. Amiri left the rear door of the shop and did not immediately return. Amiri’s cousin Faton, fourteen years old, also worked in the shop. Faton went out back and heard Amiri’s cries for help. Amiri had fallen into a deep open manhole that led into the buildings septic system. Faton ran for help while Amari hung on, running his hands on the walls looking something to grab onto.
Shop keepers left their stores to assist Amari. It was makeshift. The Pizza store manager lowered an apron, hoping Amiri could reach it so they could hoist him up. An aluminum pole was place in the hole for Amiri to grab. 911 was called. The Smithtown Fire Department was toned out at 9:11pm. A Suffolk County Police patrol car was on the scene in a minute or two, Suffolk Police Emergency Services arrived, and we had Chiefs, Rescue, Engines and ambulances to the back of the store in less than 5 minutes.
A rapid extrication of Amiri motivated everyone to work double time. Two pike poles were lowered into the manhole to work to pull Amiri up. It was silent down in the hole. Finally Amiri was hooked and brought to the surface. He was transferred on a backboard to stretcher. CPR commenced. From the initial tone to the time Amiri was pulled was a rapid 12 minutes. From the time of the initial tone to Amiri’s arrival at the hospital emergency room was 21 minutes.
Amiri succumbed at 10:10pm at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center. A senseless and avoidable death.
We all sensed the inevitable when Amiri was removed, but our work continued. We continued to do a confined space search to make sure no additional victims suffered Amiri’s same fate.
As usual, in such a situation, as parents, friends and relative grieve; the property owner cowers behind unanswered phone calls and the coat tails of his attorney.
Also on The Fire PIO…
- Benjamin Franklin Fire Service Trivia – December 3, 2010
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