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OFFICIAL RELEASE
Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.

June 3rd, 1998

FIREFIGHTER RECOVERING FROM BURNS

HYATTSVILLE VOLUNTEER NOW BREATHING ON HIS OWN
AFTER BEING RESCUED BY FELLOW FIREFIGHTERS FROM BURNING HOUSE

        A volunteer firefighter from the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire
Department is now breathing on his own less than 24 hours after he was
seriously burned while battling a house fire in Adelphi.
        Shortly after 11pm on Tuesday, June 2nd, units were dispatched
to 2205 Calvert Street in the Lewisdale section of Adelphi for a
reported house fire. There were heavy fire conditions on the second
floor following a lighting strike.
        The crew from Hyattsville's Engine 11 was the second to arrive
on the scene. Four members of the crew ascended the stairs to perform a
search. Fire conditions worsened and all four were caught in a flashover
as fire consumed two rooms on the second floor. 
        Volunteer Firefighter Jeff Shaw, a 21-year-old live-in member of
the Hyattsville VFD from Shavertown, Pennsylvania, was found by fellow
firefighters from Hyattsville running out of air in a bedroom. Volunteer
Captain Keith Rinehimer and Volunteer Firefighter Mike Walker pulled
Shaw down the flight of stairs to the outside where he was immediately
transferred to an ambulance and transported to Washington Hospital
Center's MedStar Burn Unit in critical condition. Shaw, a member of the
Department since 1995 who works at the Maryland Fire and Rescue
Institute in College Park, was suffering first- and second-degree burns
to the face and had complications to his airway.
        More than 30 members of the Hyattsville VFD and other
Departments stood vigil at the hospital awaiting word on Shaw's
condition. He was initially listed in critical, but stable condition, in
the Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. By this afternoon, Wednesday June
3rd, Shaw was breathing on his own and his condition upgraded to
serious, but stable condition. 
        Rinehimer, Walker and Murphy, as well as a fifth volunteer
firefighter from the Chillum-Adelphi station, were treated and released
from MedStar suffering from minor burns, smoke inhalation and heat
exhaustion.
        The occupants of the house managed to escape prior to the fire
department's arrival. None were injured.
        Shaw’s injuries were the most serious to any volunteer
firefighter from the Hyattsville VFD since Volunteer Firefighters Alan
P. Sondej was burned in a flashover in 1988. He later succumbed to his
injuries.
        Personnel from the county’s Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
team met with the membership in the hours that followed in the incident
to help cope with the incident.
        The Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department would like to publicly
thank the members of the many other volunteer fire departments around
the county and the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department for its
strong support of our membership during this time of need. Their desire
and willingness to fill-in at our Department, stay at the hospital with
our membership and their general support has been greatly welcomed and
appreciated.

-end-

For more information on this incident and the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire
Department please visit http://www.hvfd.com