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Loveland fire chief recognizes residents for ‘life-saving actions’ in November fire


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Two Loveland residents were honored with an award straight from the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority Tuesday night for their actions in mid-November to help save lives during a fire.

 

Tim Sendelbach, fire chief of the LFRA, honored Sean Campbell and Michael Kaufmann at the start of Tuesday’s City Council Meeting with the Fire Chief’s Community Life Safety Award for actions they took during a fire at a home in the 4800 block of Basswood Drive Nov. 12 to help save those inside.

 

Sendelbach said crews were dispatched to the multi-family apartment fire around 1 a.m. that morning. When crews arrived on scene they reported that three-quarters of the second floor of the apartment was enveloped with extreme amounts of fire.

 

He added that crews, as well as Battalion Chief Eric Klaas, were amazed that no one was hurt given the seriousness of the fire. Sendelbach added that the fire started at a place with one way in and one way out, and the fire was in the direct line of the way out.

 

Sendelbach said that, in investigating, it became apparent that Campbell and Kaufmann saved the lives of the second-floor residents by notifying them of the fire and helping them get out quickly.

 

“Their situational awareness to the dangers and their selfless actions in alerting and assisting everyone out of the building while simultaneously communicating with 911 dispatchers who were assisting us to get to the scene, undoubtedly saved lives that night,” he said.

 

He added that, that night, both men exemplified “the truest form of courage under fire.”

 

Kaufmann said the two roommates had been up north in Cheyenne for much of the previous day and returned home early in the morning Nov. 12. He said before bed, the two went outside to smoke a cigarette when they noticed something strange in the neighboring apartment.

 

“I looked up and noticed the orange glow,” he said.

 

“(Michael) looked at me and said ‘that apartment’s on fire,'” Campbell said.

 

When they realized what was happening, Kaufmann said they decided “we (have to) do something.”

 

He said the two quickly acted to help those in the apartment, calling 911 and running up to the second-floor to get people outside, even kicking in one of the doors to try and get the apartment’s occupant out as fast as possible.

 

He said they then went around to the other upstairs apartment and occupied first-floor apartment, alerting everyone to get outside.

 

Each of the awards, which LFRA Board Chair Jeff Swanty presented to Campbell and Kaufmann after referring to them as heroes, recognized the two for their “courageous and life-saving actions” that night. It added that their “selfless actions, performed under extreme conditions” prevented severe injury and/or the death of another person.

 

Everyone in the council chambers, from the council members themselves to the people packing the seats and lining some of the walls, stood and applauded.

Among those there to see the award be given to the two men was Hailey Campbell, Sean’s wife.

 

She said she was away at work when the fire happened, at first only receiving a Snapchat of the flames. And while she was initially scared at what she saw, she said she was ultimately proud of what they had done.

 

“It was very courageous of them to run into flames,” she said. “I am very proud of both of them.”

 

Both Campbell and Kaufmann said being honored by the department was an incredible feeling.

 

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Kaufmann said.

 

Campbell said, since they are both tow-truck drivers, helping people out is just part of who they are.

 

“On a daily basis that is what we do, help people, and we help people a lot of times at the worst times of their day,” he said. “It is an honor to both be recognized and we appreciate it.”

 

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