Roane State Community College

 

Knoxville firefighters, including Roane State Community College paramedic program graduate David Frazier, were recognized recently for their roles in saving residents of an East Knoxville apartment when it caught fire in April. From left: Fire Chief Stan Sharp, Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, Capt. David Frazier, State Rep. Rick Staples, D-Knoxville, and senior firefighters Eric "Bo" Merritt and Kevin Tippens.

July 3, 2017

By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer

David Frazier, a captain with the City of Knoxville Fire Department and a 2002 graduate of Roane State Community College’s paramedic program, was among a group of Knoxville firefighters recently honored by state lawmakers and Knoxville City Council for “a dangerous job well done.”

Frazier, as well as other members from Knoxville Fire Station #4 (Park City/Park Ridge) - including Senior Firefighters Kevin Tippens and Eric “Bo” Merritt – were honored for their heroic actions during an April 23 call to an east Knoxville apartment complex.

A blaze had ignited in a rear stairwell of the Lakewood Building of the Magnolia Apartments, blocking the exit for the 44 residents.

“As black smoke, fumes, and asphyxiant gases flooded the building, the firefighters found that it was safer to place ladders on the front of the building to remove the trapped residents,” according to a state House of Representatives resolution.

As the fire continued to spread and all other means of rescuing victims from the inside were exhausted, a father dropped his one-month-old infant some 20 to 30 feet into Merritt’s waiting arms to “quickly remove the child from the smoky environment,” the resolution states. The child was not injured, and the father was rescued later by ladder.

The quick actions and accomplishments of these members, as well as other responding units ensured that there were no serious injuries, officials said.​