INJURED FIREMAN GIVES THANKS

Having endured a compound leg fracture, a 103-degree temperature and a constant watch for infection, Cape Girardeau firefighter Randol Morris still had a smile to spend Thanksgiving Day.

The look of appreciation underscored Morris' statement about feeling thankful on this holiday, just five days after he was injured battling one of the biggest blazes of his nine-year career.

"I've got friends and family and a whole stack of get-well cards from Alma Schrader and Franklin schools," Morris, 37, said. "It could have been a lot worse. Yes, with the kind of support I have right now, I do feel thankful today."

Among the many visitors Morris appreciated seeing was former Cape Girardeau policeman Danny Niswonger, who also was injured in the line of duty.

"It was great to see someone like Danny, because he knew exactly what I was going through," Morris said. "He knows what it feels like when you're moved from one room to the next. He understands some of the things most people don't think about."

"My dad, who got some tickets from Danny, said he still likes him," Morris said with a grin.

This was Morris' first serious injury. "It's the first time I've had to stay overnight in the hospital," he said. He had cuts before, but nothing like this.

His wife, Marlene, is doing her best to show strength while Morris recovers.

"She's having a tough time with it, I can tell," he said. "She's trying hard to show this isn't bothering her too much. That's one of the conditions of being married to a fireman or a policeman. Wives listen to that scanner and never know if that will be the call their husband will respond to."

When he underwent surgery to repair a broken femur in his left leg, Morris had to have eight pints of blood pumped into him.

"I've gotten past the surgery and a high fever, so the worst is behind me," he said.

That kind of news sustains Morris' wife and the remainder of his family as he begins a lengthy period of rehabilitation.

The swirl of activity during last Saturday's fire at the intersection of William and Kingshighway left Morris' memory of exactly how he was injured somewhat hazy.

"It was like the classic slow-motion scene where you see it coming but can't do much about it," Morris said from his bed at Southeast Hospital.

"I heard and saw the roof collapse and then I'm not too sure whether I got hit by part of a wall first or a red beam," Morris said. "I've been told that someone took a beam off of me and I got help from several of the guys. That's all I really need to know."

An emergency medical technician, Morris knew what he needed to check as soon as he sustained the injuries.

"When we see someone who has been in a car accident, one of the first things we check is movement in the extremities," Morris said. "I was able to wiggle my toes in my boots, so I didn't think it was that bad at the time."

Morris, who works at Fire Station No. 2 on Mount Auburn Road, wasn't scheduled to work that night.

"As soon as I heard it on the scanner, I knew it was big," he said. "I went down to the station and got my gear and headed to the fire. But that's what everybody else did that night."

The three-alarm blaze involved two buildings within the Plaza Tire complex. Nearly 10,000 square feet of the 40,000-square-foot complex was destroyed in the inferno, including the Lantner Co. building.

"Whenever it's a tire fire, you know it's going to take a long time putting out," Morris said. "When rubber gets that hot, it's hard to get under control with water."

The fire, which involved 6,000 tires, lasted through the night. At one point 100 firefighters fought the blaze.

Morris was one of four injured in the fire. However, Morris' injuries were the most severe. The others injured were released from the emergency room by Sunday morning.

He has had a pin stapled to his leg but does not wear a cast.

"With the worst behind me, I could be starting rehabilitation as early as Monday," Morris said. He isn't sure how long he will remain in the hospital.

He is sure, however, he will be there long enough to celebrate his son's 12th birthday.

"Randol Jr. will be 12 Saturday," he said. The younger Randol has shown some interest in firefighting.

"He seems to like it," Morris said. "I wouldn't push him into it, but I wouldn't discourage him, either."