It was a sunny Saturday in June, and Dave Kahn, life safety technician at Parkview Regional Medical Center (PRMC), had just finished breakfast with his wife at Mister Coney. They were getting ready to drive out of the parking lot when he noticed a woman frantically directing traffic around a smoking SUV in the middle of the road nearby. Realizing the vehicle was on fire, with flames beginning to rise high from the hood, Dave immediately stopped to help.
Despite the panicked vehicle owners and bystanders – and the fact that Dave had limited mobility due to injuries that required surgery in just a few weeks – he grabbed a 10-pound fire extinguisher from his car and rushed to the flaming vehicle.
After determining the fire was confined to the engine compartment and not near the fuel tank, he wedged the nozzle of his extinguisher through the gap between the grill and hood, which couldn’t be opened due to the flames. He had emptied his extinguisher by the time Fort Wayne Fire Department arrived, but it was just enough to keep the fire from spreading and engulfing the entire vehicle in flames.
Once the firefighters arrived, Dave realized he had limped over to the burning vehicle without his cane and was starting to feel pain in his leg. Right around this time, Tori Franklin, nurse leader, Surgical Admission Unit, PRMC, happened to drive by the scene, and she pulled over to see if anyone needed medical attention. She spotted Dave leaning against a pole on the side of the road and heard him asking his wife to bring over his cane.
When Tori walked over to ask Dave if it was his car that was on fire, she suddenly recognized him from his American flag suspenders, which he wears every day. Having attended Dave’s safety classes, she knew how passionate he was about his job and wasn’t surprised to see him jumping in to save the day. She shared this story internally, hoping to recognize Dave’s act of bravery.
Dave, who is often called the “fire guy” by co-workers who know him well, said he was simply in the right place with the right tools for the job. But it takes a special person to run to a burning vehicle – with an injured leg, no less – to help a complete stranger.
Thank you, Dave – our very own fire guy – for putting your passion into action to prevent a possible car explosion. And thank you, Tori, for letting us know about Dave’s heroic efforts and for your own willingness to jump in to see if anyone needed medical attention. It’s remarkable that not one but two Parkview co-workers stopped to assist strangers in a situation most people would try to avoid. Your commitment to keeping others safe – even when you’re not at work – is truly inspiring.
