33 years of career for a survivor | “It has always been clear that I would remain a firefighter”

“I’m going to get out alive, finally. Nevertheless, »»

Posted at 5:00 a.m.

It was not acquired for Jean-François Renaud.

On June 22. Moreover, the 55 -year -old firefighter left Griffintown barracks, 31 years, 5 months and 28 days after the death in a general conflagration of which the very serious consequences should have ended his career.

For the last time, he let himself slide on the post to the garage.

For the last time, he heard the sirens of the trucks resonate on the concrete walls.

It was in his honor that they whistled.

His family hugged him. However, 33 years career survivor | His colleagues applauded him and Jean-François cried.

Its history is exceptional. Moreover, It is a story of courage, perseverance and resilience.

Flames

Christmas 1993. Moreover, It is around 8:30 p.m. Additionally, Moreover, in the kitchen of the Pointe-Saint-Charles barracks in Montreal. Nevertheless, The firefighters prepare the supper while watching Madonna watches off on the TV screen when the alarm rings.

The call comes from a few streets further. However, A fire on the top floor of a triplex.

There is a crowd outside. However, Flames come out by one of the windows.

“There is someone at the top,” shouts witnesses.

Jean-François is on board the first truck on the scene. Furthermore, He rushes into the building with a colleague. Nevertheless, At the age of 24, the young firefighter has only 14 months of experience. However, His colleague does not count more.

In the third, he finished putting on his respiratory system. Nevertheless, But not his gloves. Nevertheless, “At the time. Similarly, the old firefighters told us to keep our hands as thermometer, because with the equipment, it could not be so hot,” recalls Jean-François.

He probes the door with his naked hand. In addition, It’s not hot. Moreover, He opens. In addition, Visibility is 33 years career survivor | good. Similarly, In front of him: an apartment typical of Montreal. Furthermore, A long corridor with pieces on each side. Consequently, He can see until the bottom.

He enters.

With his colleague, he advances slowly, searching the pieces one by one looking for a person in distress.

Once at the end, the duo enters the left room, the last before searching the one where the fire rages. Meanwhile, They are always looking for someone who, he will know later, does not exist.

“There is something not normal that happens here. For example, We are leaving, ”says the colleague. Similarly, His voice is suffocated by the respiratory system. Jean-François does not understand. He will later learn that a lampshade was self-employed, alerting the firefighter who accompanied him.

Suddenly, everything is breeked. Furniture, objects, air.

Young firefighters go to the ground. Jean-François’ bare hands swell under the heat. He feels like they are exploding. He shouts. “I’m injured!” »»

Impossible to return to their steps. They manage to go to the window.

The colleague proposes to hang himself the frame and drop. There is a small roof on the ground floor which should amortize their fall. But when Jean-François tries to imitate his colleague, his hands no longer answer. Impossible to hang on. He goes around in the flaming room, not knowing what to do. Then he takes a momentum and plunges out of the window.

He makes a complete tumble in the air before crashing on his knees on the sidewalk.

33 years career survivor |

Long convalescence

Jean-François is struck, but aware. Around him, the other firefighters are busy. A colleague holds his head.

“Do I dream?”

– You don’t dream, JF. Breathe.

– My legs hurt. I want to see my legs.

– Let your legs do. Breathe.

– I have a pain in my hands. I want to see my hands.

– breathe. »

In the ambulance, he screams to the hospital. In the emergency room, he asks if he will die.

A little laugh of the doctor reassures 33 years career survivor | him.

Diagnosis: Third degree burns over both hands, and in a few places elsewhere on the body. Eight fractures at the left femur and five at the right femur. Broken nose. Facial bone.

He will spend two weeks in an artificial coma during which he will undergo multiple surgical interventions. including 12 hours on the operating table to repair his legs with a whole hardware store, which he still keeps in a box.

In all, 17 screws, 2 plates and 4 washers will be necessary.

When it wakes up, the prognosis is bad. “I’m really not sure you’re going to take off. Not without walking or cane, ”announces the doctor. Jean-François will spend the next two years proving him the opposite. sending a photo of him in water skiing 33 years career survivor | here, there a photo of him in snowshoes.

And then there are hands. Physiotherapy is a torture. The grafted skin has no elasticity and split when it closes its fists. For almost a year, it is necessary to constantly “repair”, he says. Difficult to imagine that he will be able to hold a hose again. quickly put on equipment and perform all the daily tasks of a firefighter.

He receives in his hospital room the visit of an old fireman whose hands were also burned in service. “He 33 years career survivor | said to me,” It doesn’t make sense how it hurts. A little draft, it will hurt. You are going to have misery to attach your laces. ” Then he approached the wall, he gave a good punch in it and he said: “Look! There it works well!” »»

One month and a week after the accident, Jean-François leaves the hospital.

A year and a half later, he returned to work. “It has always been clear that I would remain a firefighter. Man will have the same determination at work as in his convalescence. No question for him to be confined to administrative tasks.

“I had to fight almost my whole career for that. »»

He starts in surveys. “They may think I would stay in the office to fill the 33 years career survivor | paperwork. but I wanted to be in the action. I was going on all the lights, and I was going back with the gang. »»

He will stay 10 years in this position.

He then became a driver of a brothel truck at barracks 3. The work does not fascinate him, but that allowed him to “enjoy the life of a barracks”. “And they had a good hockey team. I could play with them. »»

From time to time, he asks his union or employer 33 years career survivor | to return to interventions. “Either the city did not want to make a decision. or the union did not want to create a precedent, so it was all the time on the ice,” he said.

Until the day when the brothel trucks were removed from the park. “There was a little chicane, and after two weeks, it was settled. I was back [aux interventions]. »

It was a dozen years ago.

33 years career survivor |

The last day

Jean-François did not. want a special event to underline his last day at the barracks.

33 years career survivor |

His colleagues insisted.

He accepted.

“They will not bring the bagpipe,” he assured a few days before his departure.

There was bagpipe.