Just another day in the life of a Fireman Part 1 | Eastern North Carolina Now

Stories my dad told me about his life as an Atlanta Fireman.

    My dad told the story of a black construction worker that he helped get out of a ditch. The worker was digging a ditch somewhere in Atlanta with a shovel when the sides of the ditch caved in and trapped him in the dirt. This was before they used the bracing and steel inserts to prevent cave ins. Today they use wood or steel wall sheets to keep this from happening.

    They called the fire department to help and dad says that when he arrived on the scene the only thing visible was the top of the guy's head. Dad jumped in the ditch and began to move the dirt away with his hands. They cleared a breathing hole for him. He was a huge man and they tied a rope around his chest under his arms. He kept saying, "Lord don't let me die". Dad assured him he would be ok just to relax. After they determined that the guy was able to breathe, they began to remove the dirt from the ditch and finally extracted the guy.

    The ambulance took him to Grady Hospital for examination. I think he may have had some broken bones that required him to stay overnight. The next day Dad went by Grady to see the guy and found him in the Ward with a bunch of his buddies.

    When dad entered the wardroom, the guy jumped up and said in a loud voice. "That's the red headed son of a bitch that saved my life." They all had a big laugh and now I have a story to tell.

As told to Bobby Tony by his father"Red" an Atlanta Fireman 1940 - 1965