By Bob Gardinier, Albany Times Union, N.Y.
Jul. 25–SCHODACK — A local volunteer firefighter who saved a 10-year-old girl trapped in the burning wreckage of a house explosion last year has received a statewide honor.
Schodack volunteer James Rosse II earned the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York EMS Provider of the Year award. The award was presented to Rosse last week at a ceremony at the South Schodack Fire Department.
At 10:15 a.m. July 16, 2006, Rosse, an emergency medical technician, arrived in his personal vehicle at an emergency call of a house explosion at 900 Van Hoesen Road.
When he arrived, the house was gone, scattered across the property with insulation, household items and clothing dangling from nearby trees. A station wagon parked next to the burning rubble had a shattered windshield.
As other members of the South Schodack Fire Department and Castleton Volunteer Ambulance started to arrive, Rosse was crawling through the burning rubble that had collapsed into the basement, in search of Amore Swann, who could be heard but not seen.
“I am proud to receive this honor, but you have to remember, it was not just because of me that that girl is alive today,” Rosse said. “I just got to her first. The others kept the fire off me while I treated her and helped in getting her out of there. If I could not get her out of there, it would not have mattered anyway.”
It was not the worst situation Rosse had ever encountered.
“I spent five days in search and rescue in the World Trade Center disaster,” Rosse said. “There was training I went through for that that prepared me.”
Despite structural hazards and scorching temperatures, Rosse crawled through holes and openings in the debris until he found Amore trapped under a Fiberglas tub and debris from the explosion.
Rosse made a preliminary assessment of the girl’s condition, determining she fractured her leg, suffered possible head injuries and exhibited signs of shock, FASNY spokesman Ryan Watson said.
Rosse gave instructions to the other firefighters who helped free the girl and had her flown to Albany Medical Center Hospital.
The explosion at Kathryn Swann’s house killed Swann’s older daughter, Jolene B. Hotaling, and the daughter’s 25-year-old friend, Nicole M. Tardiff of Schodack Landing. Amore Swann, Kathryn Swann’s younger daughter, has since recuperated. The mother was not home at the time of the blast.
The explosion was caused by a leaky propane tank that filled the basement with the volatile gas.
Rosse accepted the honor for all of the rescue and fire personnel who were there that day. Bob Gardinier can be reached at 454-5696 or by e-mail at [email protected].
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