San Antonio's fire chief says the on-duty death of Scott Deem will not be in vain.
"We will take every man and women in the San Antonio fire department through that building. It will be therapeutic to see where their colleague, their loved one, their friend died. What that building looks like. And we will do that before we celebrate. That is part of our recovery."
On Thursday night at 9:10pm, fire crews were called to the Ingram Square Shopping Center, on the 6700 block of Ingram Rd., for a fire in a strip mall. When they got there, heavy smoke billowed from the structure, and a second alarm was called.
About 20 minutes into the incident, one of the firefighters sounded a Mayday call. Immediately a third alarm was dispatched. That's when crews realized that two of the firefighters were unaccounted for. A Special Operations Battalion and a Rapid Intervention Team went on a search and rescue mission
Approximately 26 minutes into the incident, one of the missing firefighters was located. Fire Fighter Brad Phipps was brought outside and was immediately transported to SAMMC.
Forty-five minutes into the incident, a downed fire fighter was rescued. Robert Vasquez was one of the rescuers who rushed into the building. He was taken to University Hospital.
Chief Hood says it was his decision, when the flames grew higher, to stop all search operations
"It was my decision that I could not lose ten or 15 fire fighters because the men and women in this organization would have continued to pour into that building and risk their lives to pull their brother out," he teared up. "It was the most difficult decision of my life and no regrets doing it."
At 11:34 PM, Hood was told that the missing firefighter, Deem, could be seen from outside the structure. He was removed by his fellow firefighters, transferred to an awaiting Medic unit, and was escorted by SAPD to the Medical Examiner’s Office.
"We are heartbroken, but I cannot be happier or prouder with the efforts to give him every chance at survival.
Vasquez entered the SAFD on December 23, 2006. He suffered non-life threatening injuries and has been discharged and is at home and recovering.
Phipps entered the SAFD on April 18, 2006. He sustained serious burn injuries and is in critical but stable condition.
"As far as the activity of the rapid intervention team that went in to pull these fire fighters out.... it was some of the most heroic firefighting I’ve ever seen."