SALISBURY, Md. - The fire in Baltimore, where three firefighters died, is tugging at the hearts of first responders across Delmarva. Firefighters say it’s always tough when tragedies like this hit close to home.
Flags at the Salisbury Fire Department were lowered to honor the three Baltimore firefighters who lost their lives. Rob Frampton, Assistant Fire Chief, in Salisbury says he is heartbroken will be and understatement.
“First and foremost, we offer our condolences to the members of the Baltimore City Fire Department and families of those that made ultimate sacrifice Monday. We send prayers out to the gentleman that is still in the hospital,” says Frampton.
That firefighter remains hospitalized. The tragedy has many fire companies examining and evaluating their procedures. Frampton says the goal is to ensure this never happens again.
”We’re just taking a moment, while we mourn, to reflect on ways that we can prevent that from happening here. We are a brotherhood and sisterhood. Those things, even though they’re two hours away, are far-reaching and we do feel the impact on that.”
At the Little Creek Volunteer Fire Company near Dover, 18 year old, Kenny Trice, says the Baltimore tragedy breaks the hearts of firefighters everywhere.
”They are still technically like a family to us, even though they are totally in a different state and totally different department. It hurts a lot knowing that we have people that passed away unfortunately due to certain factors,” says Trice.
Fire departments say this tragedy is a sobering reminder of the importance of safety protocols for their crews. Firefighters we spoke with say they will continue to support one another because you never know what could happen the next time those fire bells go off.