THIS PAST MONDAY NIGHT AROUND 9 PM the Boston, Massachusetts, police got a call for a possible jumper on Commonwealth Avenue. Arriving on the scene they found a disturbed woman on a ledge of a 6th-floor window. As the negotiators worked to keep the woman calm and gradually convinced her to step back inside, Fire Department Engine 3 and Rescue 1 were dispatched to assist.
After “bouncing” an SUV out of the way by hand, the engine crew set up an airbag below the window. The squad from Rescue 1 went to the roof and set up operations to perform a true bit of derring-do known as the “pick-off.” The Boston Herald picks up the story:
…. the crew from Rescue 1, led by Lt. Sandy Lasa and Chief Ronald Marston, set up on the roof. Working in darkness, the firefighters secured ropes to a stairwell railing and a chimney and tied the other ends to a harness worn by eight-year veteran Phil Cetrino.
Boston police negotiators tried to keep the woman calm while guiding her into a safe spot where Cetrino could swoop in and save her – a death-defying move called a “pick-off.” Chief Joe Finn stood below on the street alongside a priest, who prayed the rosary in hopes of a safe outcome.
Lt. Lasa described the tense moments before sending Cetrino off the roof:
“We were listening to the radio and looking over the edge. We were keeping an eye on her. She was moving back and forth along the windows. We just waited for the opportunity. We wanted her as close to the window as possible. We had one shot to get Phil over the side. As he went over, he landed in a perfect spot. He was right there at the ledge.”
FF Cetrino, center, relates his story.
(Boston Herald / Cahill photo)
In an interview with the Herald Wednesday, Cetrino continued:
“I just waited for the word. They had the rope tied off and when they said to go, I went over,” he said.
“She was standing on a desk chair and hanging onto the cord for the blinds. She had her back toward me and I came in and just blocked her from going out the window and harming herself. I just whacked her and got her horizontal and let the police know I was in.
“I just knocked her down. She was very surprised. She had a scalpel in her hand and she started to scratch herself with it. She had some superficial wounds. I just wanted to make sure she didn’t go out that window. The police were right in there quickly and restrained her and took her into custody.”
Be sure to read the full story of this heroic rescue in the Boston Herald HERE.
Also on FireGeezer…
- Fiery Car Crash in Boston Leaves Two Brothers Critically Burned – August 21, 2011
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