NORTH CHARLESTON, S. C. (WCIV) — The North Charleston Fire Department (NCFD) revered Dashawn Joseph with the 2023 Citizen Award for putting out a building fire in late September.
According to NCFD, the chimney erupted on Sept. 22 at approximately 5:08 a. m. m. en 3287 Pacific St. A trash can filled with debris from the structure jammed the chimney in an unfinished clubhouse in an apartment complex beneath the structure. the fireplace.
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Joseph, who is a driver for Atlantic Roofing, unloading a truck when a colleague commented that he smelled smoke in front of him. Noticing the chimney, Joseph tried to put it out with a chimney extinguisher. After discovering that the door of the enclosed structure site, according to NCFD, Joseph scaled an eight-link food chain fence to get to the fire and put it out.
Firefighters say Joseph was able to put out the chimney with the chimney extinguisher, but it reignited. Joseph then retrieved a five-gallon bucket from a dumpster and used a portable pump at the scene along with the bucket to effectively extinguish the chimney. Once the chimney went out, Joseph met with the NCFD firefighting team and guided them to the location where the chimney was located to make sure it was completely extinguished.
“Mr. Joseph’s ordinary efforts were paramount in saving this structure,” fire investigator Michael Clarke said in a statement. “He went out of his way, risking his life and limb, to help when he had no explanation as to why he did so. , as well as just being a smart person. “
“Mr. Joseph’s actions are a wonderful display of NCFD’s Core Values of honor, courage, and compassion, as well as a reminder of why we all got into this profession in the first place,” he continued in his statement.