Chris Smith, 34, has been a firefighter in one capacity or another for 18 years — he’s been with the District of Columbia Fire Department since 2000 — and on July 21, he dangled from a crane 10 stories up to rescue a construction worker who had fallen from the 10th floor of 1999 K St. to the ninth, severely fracturing his right ankle.

But the first thing Smith wants you to know is:

“I had a lot of help.”

That included his Rescue Squad 1, Rescue Squad 2, HazMat, Battalion 6, the Special Operations Battalion chief, Engine 23, Tower 3 and EMS 16, department spokesman Alan Etter said.

This story continues below
Advertisement

Smith said the crane operators also played a key role.

“Cranes are very useful in these situations,” he said. “Getting someone who can’t walk down nine stories is tricky. It’s easier on the rescuer and the victim to use a crane. ... The crane operators are very proficient, it’s all they do all day. It could have been a 45-minute trip down the stairs, but it only took two minutes by air.”

So how did the crane and basket operation work?

“It was lucky that there was no roof yet on the building,” he said. “We were able to lift the basket from the ground and drop it through a vacant space that ran down to the ninth floor. We didn’t have to carry him at all. Once the basket was near him, paramedics wrapped him up and hooked him into the basket.”

How did he end up riding with the victim?

“We always send a rescuer with the victim,” Smith said. “They could be afraid of heights, or their pain could overwhelm them. Someone needs to be there to clear an airway if they get sick. Things can happen in those three to five minutes while you’re suspended in the air. Things happen that could be disastrous to the patient. In this case, he was calm the whole time. He’s a construction worker and used to the heights.”

How many times has he done this?

“This was my third time in the basket,” he said. “It’s never become routine, but with all the construction in D.C., it’s becoming pretty frequent. Occasionally, people do get hurt, and it’s our job to help out if they get hurt.”