Aerial Rescue: Firefighters Lower Medical Patient from Roof in Stokes Basket

E Rutherford, NJ - Firefighters from the East Rutherford Fire Department carried out a technical elevated rescue to safely extract an individual suffering an acute medical emergency atop a building.

Emergency crews were alerted to the scene on Monday, October 5, 2026, after 911 dispatchers received reports that an individual situated on an elevated roof required immediate medical evacuation. Arriving responders quickly recognized that conventional interior stairwells and access points were impractical for safely moving the incapacitated patient down to ground level.

Truck 1 positioned its aerial ladder to establish an elevated anchor and haul system above the roofline. Rescue specialists secured the patient inside a rigid Stokes basket before utilizing the aerial apparatus to carefully lower the victim to the street level below.

Once clear of the structure and safely grounded within the Bergen County municipality, the individual was immediately transferred to local Basic Life Support (BLS) personnel, who initiated emergency care and transported the patient to an area hospital for further medical treatment.