CURWENSVILLE – At Monday night’s Curwensville Borough Council meeting, Dave McNaul, council president,announced that Nathan Curry, Curwensville police officer, and Jimmy Hoover of Curwensville Rescue Hose and Ladder will each receive a letter of commendation placed in their files for duty during a recent house fire that took the lives of two children in the borough.
During his report, Mayor Don Hoover told the story of a phone call he received from a retired state police officer who wanted to commend Curry and Hoover for their efforts.
Seeing the smoke from the fire, the retired police officer went to the scene. Once there he saw Curry and Hoover trying to enter the burning building and save the boys still inside.
Dawson Ross, 5, and his 3-year-old brother, Chandler Ross, died when a fire broke out at their Filbert Street, Curwensville, home last month.
The unnamed retired officer congratulated the mayor on his community’s fine service men.
When asked about that day Curry said, “You go through the academy and you’re taught that people call you and you make things better. It’s [the fire’s outcome] not supposed to happen that way.”
During a rescue attempt, the fire actually melted an aluminum ladder that the men were using. Curry says his memories are actually like slowly playing still frames.
He vividly recalls looking into the eyes of an arriving fireman as he pulled on his firefighting suit and knowing exactly what was going through his mind.
This day is forever engrained in his mind, and Curry said he will never forget the lives of the two boys lost in the fire.
Curry wants every parent to make fire safety their number one concern today. “My only pet peeve now is fire safety. Parents need to spend time with kids and teach them what to do.”
Travis Goodman, Curwensville fire chief, believes lives could have been saved if working smoke detectors were installed. He also reminds Curwensville residents to install smoke detectors and check the batteries regularly.
Curwensville Rescue Hose and Ladder will also be selling reflective address signs. Goodman said installing these signs cuts down on emergency response times and adds valuable minutes to crucial time for life-saving duties.
Those who would like to purchase a sign in Curwensville Borough, Pike Township or Lumber City Borough can request one by calling 236-2960. The cost is $15, and a fireman will come to your home and install the sign.
Jimmy Hoover was unavailable at the time of publication for comment.