Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00In those first few moments Friday morning, the Sandy Hook Fire Department became a safe haven for children and teachers.
00:07Their firefighters ran in the other direction trying to help out the injured.
00:10News 8's Stephanie Simone sat down with the fire chief there.
00:13She's live in Newtown with his first-hand account. Stephanie?
00:17Darren and, of course, fire crews are used to fighting fires.
00:21But in this instance, it was their EMT training which kicked into high gear.
00:26And, of course, now they're still continuing to serve their community 24 hours a day while others are reaching out trying to help them.
00:35It's a call he'll never forget.
00:37Sandy Hook Fire Chief Bill Halstead says he was told there's a shooting at the school and it's not good.
00:43I happened to be here when a call came in. Actually, I heard a lot of sirens.
00:46He came out of the firehouse and saw an EMT motion for help with a wounded woman.
00:51And the lady had a hand injury and I think it was her thigh.
00:55And she wanted me to help her get out of the car.
00:58So I helped the lady get out of the car and we put her on the stretcher and got her in the ambulance.
01:02They set up triage for more victims.
01:04We were set and we got to treat one lady.
01:07Another lady came out with a gunshot wound.
01:10The survivors filed out of the school.
01:13His ex-wife was one of them who hid in a closet for hours.
01:16But they waited on the walking wounded.
01:19No one came.
01:21I got word out that no one else would be coming out of the building.
01:26The families were told the horrific news at the firehouse.
01:29A memorial reminds him steps away from their door.
01:33Despite his hard work and his volunteer staff, he says the true heroes are the teachers.
01:39They shielded their children.
01:41Sometimes it worked, unfortunately sometimes it didn't.
01:45But the big thing was getting those kids out of school in an orderly fashion.
01:51The other heroes, he says, are the police who selflessly went in uncertain conditions.
01:57If this guy got out with that gun and continued through school,
02:02without these guys going in there, could have been burying 40 or 50 people.
02:07He says the outpouring of support is overwhelming from his small community of Newtown,
02:13the state, and the world.
02:15It's unfortunate that you get all this attention,
02:18but it's really nice that there's people all over the country and the world that are willing to help you.
02:25And support is coming in so many different ways.
02:27Calla Lilies from Plymouth, England, 60 cakes.
02:30Someone brought the house 60 cakes.
02:33He also said that Breezy Point Fire Department on Long Island,
02:37they got hit really hard by the Sandy Hurricane,
02:40and they reached out asking what they could do.
02:43Now, this ribbon I'm wearing, the fire chief, his family,
02:46they're making them in honor of the families.
02:49And all of the firefighters were wearing them today at the firehouse.
02:53We're live in Newtown tonight.
02:54Stephanie Simoni, News 8.