Firefighters Come Together to Get Man Home Safely Amid Bad Weather, Wheelchair Impairments

Madison Fire crews at Fire Station 7 on McKenna Boulevard answered the doorbell Saturday evening and were met by a man who needed some help. He said he was on his way home and his electric wheel chair was almost out of battery power. Firefighters welcomed the man inside and offered an electrical outlet where he could recharge the wheelchair battery.

As the wheelchair was charging, the sun went down and it began to rain. Firefighters asked how far the man had to go to get home. He said he lived about a mile and a half away. Ladder Co. 7 made some calls to try to secure a cab or medical van to assist. Being a Saturday night, and a busy one in the city at that, the crew was striking out.

With help from the MFD Officer In Charge, the crew arranged to have Schmidt’s Towing send a truck over to the firehouse to transport the man and his wheelchair back home. Firefighters tagged along on Ladder 7. At the destination, the crew assisted the man back into his home, ensuring he made it there safely while sparing him a long trek through the rain.