ALBANY, NY - On October 24th at 10:36 P.M., multiple calls poured into the city of Albany‘s emergency communication center for a reported structure fire at 29 Stephen Street in the south end of the city. Engine 5, Ladder 1, Engine 1, Rescue 9, Engine 9, Battalion 1, Mohawk Ambulance Service, Truck 4 and the rescue squad were dispatched. The callers reported that all people were out of the house, but there were dogs still inside, and they were unable to get to them. The police department arrived on scene, notified the dispatcher and stated that they had heavy smoke showing from the house.

Engine 5 arrived on scene and transmitted the Signal 30 for a working structure fire. Firefighters deployed a one-and-three-quarter-inch hand line into the front door of the structure where they encountered a heavy fire condition on the first-floor and heavy smoke pushing throughout the structure. Ladder 1 set up in the middle of the street and placed the ladder to the roof of the house. One of the dogs inside of the structure was able to make its way outside. Firefighters on the first-floor made an aggressive interior attack, quickly knocking down the heavy fire condition. As firefighters were conducting a primary search of the building, Engine 9 established a water supply for the scene. Firefighters on the second-floor discovered several more dogs and began bringing them outside.

Within seconds of the dogs being taken outside, over a dozen firefighters stopped what they were doing and began performing life-saving measures on three of the rescued dogs. Additional firefighters inside of the structure notified command that the fire was knocked down and overhaul was beginning. Additional members of Mohawk Ambulance Service began to grab oxygen bottles and pet rescue masks. Firefighters on scene provided oxygen to two of the dogs, while five firefighters provided oxygen and began to perform CPR on one of the dogs. As they were doing so, firefighters switched off back-and-forth for over 20 minutes attempting to save the dog's life. The owner loaded two of the dogs in his vehicle and took off for the emergency vet clinic, and unfortunately one of the dogs did not survive.

Firefighters on scene continued to work conducting extensive overhaul of the first and second floor. No firefighters were injured on scene during the incident. Firefighters remained on scene for an extended period of time while fire investigators worked to discover the cause of the fire. The Red Cross was contacted for the individuals inside of the home.

Thanks to the remarkable and swift actions of the Albany firefighters and the dedicated members from Mohawk Ambulance Service, the two beloved dogs survived what could’ve been a devastating tragedy. Faced with smoke, fire, and a race against time, these dedicated firefighters went above and beyond, not only knocking down the fire rapidly, but also performing life-saving measures to give these dogs a fighting chance. Their willingness to push through exhaustion and work together in such a challenging condition speaks volumes about their commitment to their community's safety. Albany residents are truly fortunate to have such selfless, skilled professionals ready to step up in a moment of crisis, and the residents of the city of Albany should all be grateful for their unwavering dedication.