Firefighter Refuses To Give Up On Little Dog Pulled From Burning Home

This is Andrew Klein, a first responder with the Santa Monica Fire Department in California. But for one little dog named Marley, he'll be forever known as a hero.

And you'll soon see why.

Billy Fernando

Earlier this week, a fire broke out in the apartment building where Marley lives with his mom, trapping the little dog inside. Billy Fernando, a portrait photographer, happened to be driving by when he spotted firefighters rushing into the burning structure, so he decided to pull over to watch them work.

That's when he witnessed a life being saved.

"As I was standing outside, I saw the firefighter, Mr. Klein, running toward the curbside grass area carrying something," Fernando told The Dodo. "I didn't know what it was at first, but then I realized that it was a pet who had been trapped in the fire. The dog was unconscious, limp and not moving at all."

Klein stayed by the dog's side and began to work.

Billy Fernando

After initially attempting to revive the dog using an oxygen mask, it apparently became clear that more drastic measures were needed.

"Just a minute after, he began performing CPR on the pet without any hesitation," Fernando said, adding: "It was an awe-inspiring moment."

Billy Fernando

The dog's owner looked on as the firefighter continued to fight for Marley's life.

"She was watching it in horror," said Fernando. "She was terrified the dog wouldn't make it."

Billy Fernando

Klein, though visibly exhausted, refused to give up.

Billy Fernando

Amazingly, about 20 minutes into his efforts, the once-lifeless dog slowly began to stir. Marley's owner wasn't the only one breathing a huge sigh of relief.

"It's as if the big weight lifted off my chest. I was overwhelmed with joy and tears," Fernando said. "I witnessed the dog come back to life."

Billy Fernando

Marley gradually began to regain his strength, and aside from seeming disoriented, appeared to be out of immediate danger.

"The owner was in tears. Everyone was very happy with the ending. We are very proud of the efforts done by Andrew Klein from Santa Monica Fire Department," Fernando said. "Firefighters have always been a role model for me, and I admire them deeply for what they do for the community. Being able to see this moment was really a privilege!"

Billy Fernando

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While it might all be in a day's work for Klein, and other first responders who save lives for a living, his dedication to the little dog won't soon be forgotten.
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Firefighter Saves Pit Bull From Fire, But Watch What Happens 5 Months Later…

There’s a Southern saying that “He’s never met a stranger.”

Firefighters are some of the most important and courageous members of our society. Not only do they risk their own lives, but they are responsible for heroically saving the lives of others.

And while not all of their duties are life-or-death — as with these firefighters who created an American flag out of an old fire hose — much of their work is both serious and important.

This is the truth for a dog-turned-firefighter in Hanahan, South Carolina.

Jake was only a 3 week-old puppy when he was rescued from a burning shed by Bill Lindler, a firefighter from the local fire department. With 50 to 75 percent of his body covered in burns, Jake had a rough beginning and an unpredictable future.

Bill Lindler

But, Bill decided to adopt Jake because he found so much value in everything Jake been through. “I knew this little guy was gonna need a good little lovin’ home,” Bill shares.

Bill Lindler

From this, Jake and Bill developed an inseparable bond. “You’re not going to get ‘em apart for too long before he starts barking,” a firefighter comments. A friendship takes effort to make, but a best friendship takes intentional time and dedication to grow.

Soon after Jake’s treatments were completed, Bill brought the young Pitbull to the fire department.

Bill Lindler

Immediately, Jake’s character overflowed to those around him, giving him a special place in each of his fellow firefighters’ hearts. Jake is “a people person,” one admits, and he “can’t let anybody walk in the house without wanting to greet him.”

Jake not only became a friend to the firefighters at the house, but also a model to those around him. “Even with all the burns, he was just so happy and so friendly, and it was just nice to have him around… He’s just real good for morale” says James Durham.

Having suffered burns over 70 percent of his body, Jake’s recovery would take several weeks. But Lindler was there to make sure it wasn’t a road the puppy would have to face alone.

Bill Lindler

As Jake grew stronger, and his burns began to heal, Lindler began bringing Jake along with him for his shifts at the fire station.

He fit right in.

Bill Lindler

As a result, the Fire Chief, Mayor, and Town Administrator have titled Jake as an honorary firefighter, and the official mascot of the Fire Department.

Bill Lindler

“He’s just real good for morale.”

Jake’s circumstances never stopped him from becoming the loving and friendly dog he is today, and he has been a continuous encouragement to Bill and his friends at the firehouse.

“No matter what happens, he’s always there,” a firefighter mentions.

Jake has warmed the hearts of many, and to everyone he meets, he treats them like a friend.

“I couldn’t imagine life right now without him because He has become such a huge part of my life.” Bill says.

Teen wins benefit roping event, gives prize to injured Waco firefighter

WACO, Texas (KWTX) Alvarado roper Lain LaFountain, 17, was the big winner of the Garth Goodwin Team Roping fundraiser, which drew hundreds of participants in Waco over the weekend, but he didn’t take home his prize money and instead quietly gave it back to the man whom the event honored.

“It was a benefit for him and I felt like he needed it more than I did,” LaFountain told KWTX when reached by phone.

LaFountain won both big events in the roping fundraiser Saturday for Garth Goodwin, a veteran Waco firefighter who was paralyzed after falling from a billboard while working off-duty in May.

The event brought in nearly 500 teams to compete at the Extraco Events Center Saturday, which included Lain who found out about it from a friend, but had never met the firefighter it honored.

“I really just went up to rope for a good cause,” LaFountain said.

After the event wrapped up, LaFountain sought Goodwin out.

His dad, Greg LaFountain, thought his son simply wanted a photo with Goodwin, but was surprised when his cell phonevideo caught so much more.

“I had been videoing him all day long and I thought instead of just a picture or two, I’ll just take video,” Greg said.

“I was just overwhelmed. It was hard to keep it together.”

While you can’t hear the exchange on video between the winning roper and Goodwin, you can tell Goodwin didn’t want to accept the check and that’s when Lain took matters into his own hands.

“He didn’t want to take it,” LaFountain said. “So I just put it in his pocket.”

Lain's dad says while he was proud he wasn't surprised.

A year ago to the day of the Waco roping event, LaFountain won another benefit in Decatur, and also donated the money back for whom the benefit was organized.

“I couldn’t be more proud of him,” Lain’s dad said.

“He’s just always been this way.”

Puppy Is Sad At Shelter, Until She Reunites With The Firefighter Who Saved Her From Abuse

The adorable pup you’re about to meet couldn’t be more excited to be reunited with the man who saved her life.

Chunkie was so thrilled to reunite with firefighter Mike Thawley from Fire Station 14 in Sacramento, CA. Mike recently discovered the poor, sick puppy tied up in the rain. There was no one around to claim her — no one making sure she was safe after being left all alone outside in the elements.

Mike cleaned her up and brought her to Front Street Animal Shelter for some much-needed medical attention. The wonderful staff began treating her mange, and she enjoyed being dressed in a warm clothing to protect her skin.

Chunkie was so happy to be saved from neglect, but she had formed such a strong bond with Mike that she already missed him by the time he dropped her off at the shelter and then left.

But the following day, Mike returned to the shelter to visit his grateful new friend. The reunion is absolutely incredible.

Now, he’s speaking to his family about fostering Chunkie!

Followers have their fingers crossed that Mike gets the approval he needs and will soon be taking Chunkie home.

This video is further proof that pit bulls don’t have to grow up to be violent or aggressive.

Video Credit – Front Street Animal Shelter

Homefront: I Should Have Been A Firefighter

Just recently a nearby town published the yearly earnings of local firefighters and one of my coworkers made a comment to me that was along the lines of “…I can't believe how much the firefighters make! I should have been a firefighter…

I can't believe the town pays them THAT much!” At first, I was so enraged at his ignorance and the mere suggestion that the firefighters in his town were overpaid. Shouldn't he know better? However, before I ripped into him, I remembered that he doesn’t really know any firefighters personally and I suppose it does seem like “sticker shock” if you just look at the year-end earnings. I took this opportunity to educate him a little on the fire service and break down that “big” salary. First of all,

I have yet to meet a firefighter that’s rich. The words “firefighter” and “rich” in the same sentence doesn't even sound right. I have had the good fortune of meeting hundreds of firefighters at meetings, conferences, department gatherings, weddings, community events, and the gym. However, not one of them was wealthy. Almost all of them live in modest houses and might save up to refinish their basement (with the help of fellow firefighters, of course) or add a deck, if they are lucky. I diplomatically took the time to explain to my coworker that the base salary is actually mediocre, at best. The “big” numbers in the newspaper were not a salary amount but rather a final number that included stipends, education, specialized training certifications, and undoubtedly lots of overtime. Most likely, that firefighter would have starved on his or her base salary alone. Instead, they were able to make ends meet by taking on additional duties and working extra shifts. It’s kind of a double edged sword if you ask me: It’s very nice to have the opportunity to make additional money if you are saving for something in particular. However, it also means that you give up time with your family,

weekend plans, or a good night’s sleep to make a few more bucks. Not to mention, most firefighters I know have a second job plowing, delivering oil, installing windows, landscaping, laying brick, or in carpentry. I'm pretty sure most of them wouldn't choose to spend their free time doing hard manual labor if they were rolling in the dough. I can guarantee that the salary you read in the paper didn't tell the whole story. It should have had a little asterisk next to it with a disclaimer noting “actual results will vary” just like a diet pill that seems too good to be true.

Those numbers didn't say how many extra hours they put in, how many holidays were missed, the Tball games or school plays they had to hear about the next day, how many hours of sleep were lost or interrupted, and all the times they said “goodnight” over the phone instead of in person. And then there is the inherent risks of this job: The stresses, the health effects, and the safety risks. I'll never forget the time my husband came home from work after responding to a serious car accident in the middle of the night. The driver had hit a tree head-on, sustained life-threatening injuries, and needed to be cut out of the car.


The first responders worked hard to extricate the patient and administer care to save his life. Unfortunately, they also had come in contact with blood at the scene and later learned that the driver was positive for HIV and Hepatitis C. I was four months pregnant with twins at the time so just try to imagine my horror when I learned that my husband had been exposed and, as a precaution, required monitoring of his blood and had the option of taking a toxic cocktail to flush his system of any disease.

With two little ones on the way, this profession took on a whole new meaning for me. Firefighting was no longer a cool, attractive job—it was dirty, dangerous, and scary, too. The risks are real and the impacts are far-reaching. If anything, firefighters are not paid enough to provide this service and go to great lengths to save anyone in our community that needs help. Like most people, when we were looking to purchase a family home, I spent a lot of time scouring online listings and comparing different properties.

I was drawn to places with an updated kitchen, a large yard, extra bedrooms, and hardwood floors. Things like “move-in ready” and “wooded lot” and “extra storage” caught my eye and I was prepared to pay extra for these desirable qualities. However, my husband only had one request: He wanted to live in a town with full time police, fire, and EMS services. Admittedly, that never even crossed my mind. I guess I just assumed that if I called 911,

someone would come to help me but I never thought about the cost to the community. As a taxpayer, my husband was adamant that part of our taxes to go toward supporting the emergency services because one day, we just might need their help. When seconds count, he wanted to know that emergency personnel are ready to respond. They provide a critical service but, like most things, it does come with a price tag. Can you think of anything more important to spend your money on? I read a great quote once and it said, “A person’s true wealth is the good they do in this world.” If there is any truth to that, then I guess my coworker was right—firefighters really are rich, after all.