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City to honor HFR members involved in fire rescue
The City of Hastings plans to publicly recognize the four members of Hastings Fire & Rescue who were able to safely remove the occupants of 1105 Jefferson Ave., during a fire on Jan. 16.
Mayor Jay Beckby and Fire Chief Troy Vorderstrasse will present Chance Bronson, Colby Jensen, Jonas Marshall and Tom Treffer with lifesaving awards as part of Mayor’s communications during the April 14 Hastings City Council meeting. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. and is held at the Hastings Municipal Airport terminal, 3300 W. 12th St.
Arriving on scene Jan. 16, crews observed visible smoke coming from the eves and fire exiting the roof of the southwest corner of the structure.
Firefighters Bronson and Marshall were assigned fire attack, while firefighters Treffer and Jensen performed a primary search. Bronson and Marshall forced entry and advanced the hose for fire attack. While advancing through the structure, they were searching for immediate occupants, a critical component of firefighter training.
While advancing through the structure they located the first occupant and notified command. The team then proceeded to the second bedroom and located a second victim.
Treffer and Jensen were performing a primary search of the front living area when they were notified of multiple victims and immediately made their way to the bedroom area of the structure. Treffer and Jensen proceeded to remove the first occupant while Bronson and Marshall simultaneously entered bedroom two and removed the second individual.
The occupants were transported to Mary Lanning Healthcare.
The call came in about 5 minutes before the 7 a.m. shift change, which meant there was a complement of two full crews, who were available, almost doubling the department’s response.
Vorderstrasse said even though firefighters regularly train to remove occupants from a burning building, seldom are firefighters in a situation where they have to perform a rescue.
He said the response by Hastings Fire & Rescue on Jan. 16 was a testament to the professionalism, dedication, and skill of the department’s firefighting personnel. The teamwork demonstrated by both the off-going and on-coming crews played a pivotal role in the swift and effective handling of this emergency.
“Thanks to the combined efforts of Firefighters Bronson, Marshall, Treffer, Jensen, and all others involved, both individuals were safely rescued, and the fire was promptly extinguished,” Vorderstrasse said. “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the firefighters for their commitment to saving lives and ensuring the safety of our community. Their tireless efforts and adherence to training made all the difference, and we are proud to have such dedicated individuals on our team.”
Vorderstrasse also thanked the community for overwhelming support at the scene of the fire.
“The donations of water, coffee and food were greatly appreciated,” he said. “We are thankful to be serving such a supportive community.”
Published Date: 04/10/2025