(L to R): Firefighters Casey Poole, Capt. Larry Monroe; Lt. Shannon Bryant and Firefighter Josh Dixon
Its just after 4:00 in the morning. Four Lyons Volunteer Firemen are soundly sleeping when their radios blare a fire call. Within 7 minutes, they are on the scene of duplex where apartments are fully engulfed in flames, and the lives of two women inside hang in the balance.
That was the morning of March 17, when Capt. Larry Monroe, Lt. Shannon Bryant and Firefighters Casey Poole and Josh Dixon answered the call, and those men are being hailed as heroes by many, including the Lyons City Council who honored each one during the June meeting this week.
When they arrived at the scene, other firefighters were trying to get the fire under control, and it was these four men who entered the interior of the apartment to try to combat the fire from within. Inside the dwelling Capt. Monroe said he heard the cries of a female victim frantically calling for help. He and Lt. Bryant were on their way to the bedroom to the victim and on the way found another unresponsive female lying in the doorway of a bedroom. The conscious victim who was the mother of the unconscious woman in the hallway, was escorted out of the home to awaiting EMS. Firefighters Dixon and Poole then joined their comrades to physically pick up the unconscious woman and carry her out of the engulfed apartment to safety. Both victims were transported to a hospital in Augusta where they are said to be expected to make a full recovery.
Lyons Fire Chief Darrel Corley said, “These men are the backbone of firefighting. Without volunteers, we would be nowhere.”
While all four men certainly deserve the title of “Hero,” none of them want to pin that moniker upon themselves. Rather, each one says they were only doing a job that they’ve well trained to do, and although it was a first time for saving someone’s life, they would do it again without a second’s hesitation.
“I’m proud of these guys and I told them,” Capt. Monroe said. “In my 28 years, it’s the first time I’ve done this. I’m not a hero; but I am happy that we were able to save these two ladies.”
All four agree. Firefighter Dixon said he equates the action of that of a professional athlete, who trains and just does the job he needs to do.”
Capt. Monroe also says that they have the full support of their families. “I’ve had to leave mine in restaurants, ball fields and other places when I’ve gotten a fire call. Their support means the world!”
Firefighter Poole adds that while the men are classified as “volunteers,” they are REAL firefighters, certified in what they do and because of the backing of their full-time employers, they able to leave their jobs when called to help fight a fire.
And who knows? Maybe these four real-life HEROES will again be in the right place at the right time to save even more lives in the future!
