Video: Four East Oktibbeha Fire Fighters Become Heroes

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)-Super heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Friday night a group of East Oktibbeha fire fighters are honored for saving a life.

When four men from East Oktibbeha County heard the call for a house fire their instincts kicked in.

“I just got in from work and heard the tone drop. Heard that it was a construction fire with possible entrapment,” says Adam Bilbo.

“I was first on scene. Other guys showed up shortly after me we ran around the back heard her screaming,” says Brad Occhipinti.

“Went in the window…grabbed her by her legs and we pulled her through the window,” says James Ray.

An 80-year old woman was trapped in her home on Blackjack road when they arrived.

Fireman Adam Bilbo says the group worked as a team to save her life.

“It’s really important on a fire scene because you got to be able to trust the person next to you. They’ve got your back you got theirs,” says Bilbo.

“We like to hangout a lot just to build team work cause when we are on scene that’s all we have is the people that are around us so it’s a lot of team work involved. A lot of communication. Communication is a big part of what we do here,” says Grant Tollison.

Like many comic book heroes, some of the firemen live a double life. They save lives at night and go to college during the day.

“It’s time consuming. You got to be on top of your game you got to know get your school out of the way and then the tone drops any minute so you’re always ready to go,” says Occhipinti.

“Keep your school first. Stay on top of your task and you’re ready to go whenever the tone drops,” says Ray.

Many view the four firefighters as heroes, they see their act of kindness as community service.

“We were just there at the right place at the right time,” says Bilbo.

“It’s something we do. Don’t feel any different. We just happened to be there and able to save her. It was just another day for us,” says Occhipinti.

Whether you see them as heroes or firefighters, without their dedication to help others an elderly woman might not have survived a burning home.

The four firemen will be recognized Saturday at the Mississippi State University’s basketball game.

 

Categories: Local News

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