JACKSON FIREFIGHTER BEATS BLAZE TO SAVE LIFE

A volunteer fireman's dedication to helping others is what helped save a woman's life last December.

Randy Sander recently received the Missouri state-level Life Saving Award for his efforts in removing Pat Hill from her burning home on Dec. 18, 1995. Sander was also awarded by the city of Jackson for his actions.

Sander who works at Sander True Value Hardware has been a volunteer at the Jackson Fire department for the past six year.

Sander said he responded to the call like all other calls. "I knew the area where the fire was located," he said, "but I didn't know whose house it was. It turned out to be Jack and Jean Latimer's house. I grew up right down the street from them, so I knew them really well."

The Latimer's daughter, Pat Hill, has multiple sclerosis. "I knew she was bed fast," Sander said. "So I knew it would be a rescue situation, because Pat had no power to get out of the house on her own."

Sander had arrived at the fire ahead of the fire trucks. The police had already knocked out the window in Hill's room when he got there, he said, and were trying to get her out. The police and Sander both tried pulling Hill through the window, he said, but it was not working. Sander and the fire department think Hill's leg may have been caught in the railing of her bed.

The smoke was really bad, Sander said, because the air pressure was keeping the smoke close to the ground.

Sander and a fellow fire fighter made an attempt to enter the house, but there was no way to breath with the smoke. Sander made a second attempt, but the smoke was still too bad.

Three minutes after the 911 call the pumper fire trucks arrived at the scene with air packs.

Sander grabbed an air pack from the truck and entered the house.

"The floor was starting to get spongy," Sander said. "It was definitely getting hotter, and the fire was under Pat's room in the basement. The turnout gear I was wearing insulated me from the heat, but the smoke was just awful. I had a light with me that they use on airport runways and the visibility was maybe two feet."

When Sander reached Hill he tried to pick her up and pass her through the window. But Hill's hips were caught, he said, and there was no way of getting her through the window.

"I made the decision on my own that I would take her back out through the home," Sander said. "I tried to tell everyone that I was bringing her out, but it's really hard to communicate when your wearing an air pack. So everyone was confused about what was actually happening. I knew the layout of the house, so I just took her out."

Sander said he appreciates the award, but everyone involved really deserves to be recognized as well. Cape County Ambulance and Millersville fire department really merit a pat on the back, he said.

"A lot of people really came together," he said. "Everyone really deserves recognition. If the ambulance and Millersville hadn't been there things could have turned out a lot different."

The ambulance was able to give Hill immediate attention, Sander said, and the Millersville fire department really helped the firemen with smoke inhalation.

Sander says he didn't enter the burning building to receive any glory. "I joined the volunteer fire department because I wanted to help people," he said. "If you are doing it for the glory, then you are doing it for the wrong reasons."

Jack Latimer, Hill's father, said Sander and the others deserve any recognition they can get. "Sander saved our daughter's life," he said. "She surly would have perished had he not gone into get her. Everyone involved did a supreme job."

Sander said he really didn't think Hill would make it. "I really believe that someone upstairs was looking down," he said, "and decided it just wasn't time yet."