February, 6, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer

Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Firefighter Sustains Burn Injuries at Station

A Shreveport firefighter trying to cook breakfast at the station sustained first and second degree burns to his arms and face after the stove he was using flashed over with fire. Shortly before 8:00 a.m. this morning, Fire Driver Jerry Thompson was attempting to light the pilot light on the grill at fire station nineteen, 9336 Ellerbe Road, when a pocket of gas underneath the grill ignited. Witnesses stated that a sudden burst of flames then knocked Thompson to the floor. The fire dissipated as quickly as it manifested and left no residual fires to extinguish.

Fire department paramedic John Gimnich was standing next to Thompson at the time of the flashover and stated that he heard a loud wind sound and then saw a "ball of fire." With Thompson on the floor, eyebrows and hair singed, Gimnich lifted him into a chair as other firefighters scrambled to place cold dressings onto his face. Thompson received an IV and pain medication while en route for treatment at Willis Knighton Medical Center (WKMC) on Greenwood Road.

Gimnick was part of a medic crew at the station that, lucky for Thompson, was assigned to station nineteen. This proved extremely helpful in getting Thompson the quick advanced medical attention he needed as well as transporting him in an expeditious manner. The stove is out of use until the fire department’s maintenance division and A-1 Appliances can perform a thorough inspection of the grill. Thompson is listed in fair condition at WKMC and is expected to be released.

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