By FireRescue1 Staff
MERIDEN, Conn. — After suffering major burns during a blaze exactly one year ago, firefighter Rob Rochette showed up for duty Thursday.
Rochette, 34 was consumed by a fireball Sept. 22, 2015 when a door collapsed at a blaze he and several other firefighters were battling. Although the fire burned through the hose and severed water pressure, Rochette and his coworkers were able to spray enough water on the ceiling above them and escape.
“We thought we had it all relatively controlled and all hell broke loose,” Rochette told My Record Journal. “It was just the perfect storm.”
Rochette suffered a third-degree burn on his leg, tore muscles in his shoulder and chest and burns to his ears and wrist.
“It could have been much worse,” Rochette said.
The incident left two other firefighters injured, and sparked a probe into the city’s emergency dispatch center surrounding the poor response time regarding the fire.
“It’s ironic it’s a year to the day that we went out,” Fire Chief Ken Morgan said. “It’s good to have him back. It’s been a long road for him and he’s worked very hard to get here.”
Rochette’s first day back included a simulated rescue training drill, where crews had to maneuver blindfolded through smoke-filled apartments and clear debris in a hallway.
“It’s good to be back,” Rochette said