Our fallen hero

On Friday, January 28, 1994 at 12:18 PM, companies responded to Box 449, 12th and Fitzwater Streets. The alarm was for a fire at 745 S. 12th Street, the Rising Sun Baptist Church. This was a one-story stone church that was 50’ x 100’. Upon arrival, units found smoke coming from the building. Deacon James Everett unlocked the door and let the firefighters into the church. After an investigation, the fire was discovered in the basement. Companies went into service on what seemed to be a routine fire. They quickly extinguished the flames and started overhaul operations. Suddenly the fire erupted behind them. Several of the firefighters said they were thrown around by the violence of the flashover. Everyone in the basement scrambled to get out. Some were pulled from the small basement windows and others found the stairs. Firefighter Vincent Acey of Rescue 1 was carried out by fellow firefighters. He was not breathing. CPR was started and he was transported to the hospital where efforts to revive him failed.

After the men were out and things settled down, it was discovered that one man was missing. It was Firefighter John Redmond of Ladder 11. A search party was quickly formed and defying orders, six firefighters went back into the church to rescue their comrade. They searched in three feet of debris filled water and finally located Firefighter Redmond.

He was removed from the basement and rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

NOTE from the Daily News: Joe Anthony was driving by at the time of the flashover and reported, “I was driving by and the whole thing blew up. The whole church just went up in flames. It sounded like an explosion. It happened real fast.”