Boy's call to 911 during fire helped save mom, brother
"There's a fire in our house," boy calmly told dispatcher
A 9-year-old boy's quick thinking helped save the lives of his mom and brother after a fire broke out in their New Bedford, Mass., home Saturday, WCVB.com reports.
The third-grader remained remarkably calm during the 911 call, reporting that his house was on fire and that people were trapped in an upstairs room.
New Bedford Fire Chief Michael Gomes praised the boy's actions, saying, "He was giving us the information that there were people trapped. Fire safety training is provided to all third-graders in the New Bedford public schools to prepare them to take action during emergencies like this," according to WCVB.
The 911 call, which you can hear via the above video from WCVB, also features the boy's father, who can be heard screaming, "I can't go up there, there's too much smoke!"
District Fire Chief Michael Dandurand told NECN that the boy "heard the smoke detector, woke up, woke up his parents, and made the call."
Via NECN:
"The timing, hopefully, will send a message to others," Dandurand said. "Keep your smoke detectors active and change the batteries twice a year."
When firefighters and rescue crews arrived, they were able to get to the two people trapped on the second floor. The boy's mother was found unconscious. The boy's brother, 24, also survived but reportedly suffered second- and third-degree burns on more than 50 percent of his body, WCVB reports.
Officials believe a cigarette may have started the fire.
Follow Mike Krumboltz on Twitter (@mikekrumboltz).