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FOX 35 Care Force: Winter Springs Parks & Rec employees
The Seminole County Fire Department (SCFD) is honoring six employees from the City of Winter Springs’ Parks & Recreation department for saving two dogs from a residential fire on July 31 in Winter Springs. The team also helped the dispatcher and crews, providing necessary information and opening the homeowner’s gates for the apparatus. Now, the FOX 35 Care Force is also honoring the employees.
WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. - Seven employees from the Winter Springs Parks and Recreation Department were recently honored by the Seminole County Fire Department (SCFD) for springing into action to save two dogs from a large house fire. The FOX 35 Care Force is now also honoring the employees.
Employees honored for bravery
What we know:
On Wednesday morning, the SCFD honored the employees' efforts by presenting them with the "Community Hero Award."
FOX 35 News Reporter Amanda McKenzie also presented the employees with a "Care Force Award."
Fire damages 70% of Winter Springs home
The backstory:
Around 12:30 p.m. on July 31, a Winter Springs home suddenly went up in flames. Several employees from the Winter Springs Parks and Recreation Department not only called 911, but also ran to the home to help save anyone inside.
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The men were able to open the gates and a back porch door to rescue two of the dogs inside — Snowball and Chacha.
Chacha sustained severe burns and, sadly, a 15-year-old service dog named Rue died in the fire.
The homeowners showed FOX 35 News the damage after the fire was out and said at least 70% of the home was gone.
Despite the tremendous loss, the homeowners said they plan to rebuild.
What they're saying:
"These workers were literally across the street from this home," Winter Springs Fire Chief Matt Kinley said. "They saw this fire. They didn’t hesitate. They sprang into action. They went over they helped the residents get out and some of the dogs to get out. They just saved the lives of these dogs definitely."
"They risked their lives to go inside to the back patio, open the cage that we have for our dogs and rescue them, and they didn’t care that it was in flames, and they took our dogs out, and I can’t thank them enough for what they did," Katty West, one of the homeowners, said.
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"Good ol Rue," Paul Gilhool, one of the homeowners, said. "Rue was the older one. Fifteen years old. Great dog … Would do figure eights around the property. Amazing dog. She had a great life. For 15 years she would travel with us for work. Great time. So, we’re just thankful that we have these two. They did an amazing job in saving them."
The Source: This story was written based on information gathered by FOX 35's Amanda McKenzie in interviews with the Winter Springs Parks and Recreation Department and the Seminole County Fire Department (SCFD).