BRUCE DERRICK PADGETT
Bruce Derrick Padgett was a firefighter with Engine Company 11 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is no obit on his tribute page but in the comments section, he is described as "a Good man and a Great Firefighter who will be sadly missed."
The following is an article about an interview with Mr. Padgett following a devastating fire that was fatal to three of his fellow firefighters:
YOU THINK . . . WILL IT BE MY TURN NEXT?
By Nancy Hass
Daily News Staff Writer
It started as a typical lazy Saturday afternoon, with firefighter Bruce Padgett of Engine 11 ribbing his pal Phil McAllister as they passed each other during the shift change at the firehouse at 6th and South streets.
Just hours later, McAllister and two other firefighters, including the company's captain, were dead, smothered by smoke on the 28th floor of One Meridian Center.
At Engine 11, which was originally the city's black firehouse, there was numb silence yesterday morning. And there was pain, live as a severed nerve.
"You can't imagine the feeling," said Padgett, his voice calm, but his eyes filling with tears. "One minute the guys are here, next to you, joking, and then you realize you'll never see them again."
Padgett, who was called back to duty to fight the blaze at 11 p.m. Saturday, learned of the deaths as he stood battling flames several floors below the spot where the men's bodies were found.
It was the worst fire he had fought in seven years on the job. Finding out about his co-workers' deaths made the smoke burn even more in his throat.
"Inside, I was useless after I heard, but we kept on fighting," he said. "Finally at 10 a.m., they said we had to leave, that we'd been there too long."
The three men who were killed were from the same five-man platoon. The driver of the pumper survived; the fifth member of the platoon had called in sick that afternoon. His colleagues wouldn't disclose his name.
"He is in the worst shape of all," Padgett said. "He feels terrible that he wasn't there with them. He was here at the firehouse until just a few minutes ago. We were trying to get him to go home, but he wouldn't leave."
"In a fire company of 18, losing three is like have a huge chunk of your family obliterated," said Lt. Kenneth Krauss, a platoon leader who came to the firehouse yesterday morning. "Most of the firefighters in the company had dropped by the firehouse to support each other," he said.
"There wasn't much to do, but it felt better just to have each other around," he said. As he spoke, a young firefighter passed behind him, brushing a gentle hand across the back of the officer's nylon jacket.
"All you can do is talk about it," Krauss said. "Generally, we're into this macho thing where we just stuff it down, but now we're learning that we have to talk about it."
The pay phone in the lobby of the modern brick firehouse rang often, with family members and friends calling to ask if the guys were OK, if they could do anything to help.
"My sister just called," Padgett said. "She knew some guys had been killed and they were from this company. Until I answered the phone, she didn't know it wasn't me."
Despite the fear and sense of loss, Padgett said the deaths did not shake his convictions about firefighting.
"Sure, you get scared," he said. "You think to yourself, will it be my turn next? But you know someone has to do it. If you let the fear get to you, it could destroy you. If you go into a burning building with that thought, you could endanger people's lives."
Published in The Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) on Monday, February 25, 1991. (nc)
Bruce Derrick Padgett was a firefighter with Engine Company 11 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is no obit on his tribute page but in the comments section, he is described as "a Good man and a Great Firefighter who will be sadly missed."
The following is an article about an interview with Mr. Padgett following a devastating fire that was fatal to three of his fellow firefighters:
YOU THINK . . . WILL IT BE MY TURN NEXT?
By Nancy Hass
Daily News Staff Writer
It started as a typical lazy Saturday afternoon, with firefighter Bruce Padgett of Engine 11 ribbing his pal Phil McAllister as they passed each other during the shift change at the firehouse at 6th and South streets.
Just hours later, McAllister and two other firefighters, including the company's captain, were dead, smothered by smoke on the 28th floor of One Meridian Center.
At Engine 11, which was originally the city's black firehouse, there was numb silence yesterday morning. And there was pain, live as a severed nerve.
"You can't imagine the feeling," said Padgett, his voice calm, but his eyes filling with tears. "One minute the guys are here, next to you, joking, and then you realize you'll never see them again."
Padgett, who was called back to duty to fight the blaze at 11 p.m. Saturday, learned of the deaths as he stood battling flames several floors below the spot where the men's bodies were found.
It was the worst fire he had fought in seven years on the job. Finding out about his co-workers' deaths made the smoke burn even more in his throat.
"Inside, I was useless after I heard, but we kept on fighting," he said. "Finally at 10 a.m., they said we had to leave, that we'd been there too long."
The three men who were killed were from the same five-man platoon. The driver of the pumper survived; the fifth member of the platoon had called in sick that afternoon. His colleagues wouldn't disclose his name.
"He is in the worst shape of all," Padgett said. "He feels terrible that he wasn't there with them. He was here at the firehouse until just a few minutes ago. We were trying to get him to go home, but he wouldn't leave."
"In a fire company of 18, losing three is like have a huge chunk of your family obliterated," said Lt. Kenneth Krauss, a platoon leader who came to the firehouse yesterday morning. "Most of the firefighters in the company had dropped by the firehouse to support each other," he said.
"There wasn't much to do, but it felt better just to have each other around," he said. As he spoke, a young firefighter passed behind him, brushing a gentle hand across the back of the officer's nylon jacket.
"All you can do is talk about it," Krauss said. "Generally, we're into this macho thing where we just stuff it down, but now we're learning that we have to talk about it."
The pay phone in the lobby of the modern brick firehouse rang often, with family members and friends calling to ask if the guys were OK, if they could do anything to help.
"My sister just called," Padgett said. "She knew some guys had been killed and they were from this company. Until I answered the phone, she didn't know it wasn't me."
Despite the fear and sense of loss, Padgett said the deaths did not shake his convictions about firefighting.
"Sure, you get scared," he said. "You think to yourself, will it be my turn next? But you know someone has to do it. If you let the fear get to you, it could destroy you. If you go into a burning building with that thought, you could endanger people's lives."
Published in The Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) on Monday, February 25, 1991. (nc)
BRUCE DERRICK PADGETT
Bruce Derrick Padgett was a firefighter with Engine Company 11 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is no obit on his tribute page but in the comments section, he is described as "a Good man and a Great Firefighter who will be sadly missed."
The following is an article about an interview with Mr. Padgett following a devastating fire that was fatal to three of his fellow firefighters:
YOU THINK . . . WILL IT BE MY TURN NEXT?
By Nancy Hass
Daily News Staff Writer
It started as a typical lazy Saturday afternoon, with firefighter Bruce Padgett of Engine 11 ribbing his pal Phil McAllister as they passed each other during the shift change at the firehouse at 6th and South streets.
Just hours later, McAllister and two other firefighters, including the company's captain, were dead, smothered by smoke on the 28th floor of One Meridian Center.
At Engine 11, which was originally the city's black firehouse, there was numb silence yesterday morning. And there was pain, live as a severed nerve.
"You can't imagine the feeling," said Padgett, his voice calm, but his eyes filling with tears. "One minute the guys are here, next to you, joking, and then you realize you'll never see them again."
Padgett, who was called back to duty to fight the blaze at 11 p.m. Saturday, learned of the deaths as he stood battling flames several floors below the spot where the men's bodies were found.
It was the worst fire he had fought in seven years on the job. Finding out about his co-workers' deaths made the smoke burn even more in his throat.
"Inside, I was useless after I heard, but we kept on fighting," he said. "Finally at 10 a.m., they said we had to leave, that we'd been there too long."
The three men who were killed were from the same five-man platoon. The driver of the pumper survived; the fifth member of the platoon had called in sick that afternoon. His colleagues wouldn't disclose his name.
"He is in the worst shape of all," Padgett said. "He feels terrible that he wasn't there with them. He was here at the firehouse until just a few minutes ago. We were trying to get him to go home, but he wouldn't leave."
"In a fire company of 18, losing three is like have a huge chunk of your family obliterated," said Lt. Kenneth Krauss, a platoon leader who came to the firehouse yesterday morning. "Most of the firefighters in the company had dropped by the firehouse to support each other," he said.
"There wasn't much to do, but it felt better just to have each other around," he said. As he spoke, a young firefighter passed behind him, brushing a gentle hand across the back of the officer's nylon jacket.
"All you can do is talk about it," Krauss said. "Generally, we're into this macho thing where we just stuff it down, but now we're learning that we have to talk about it."
The pay phone in the lobby of the modern brick firehouse rang often, with family members and friends calling to ask if the guys were OK, if they could do anything to help.
"My sister just called," Padgett said. "She knew some guys had been killed and they were from this company. Until I answered the phone, she didn't know it wasn't me."
Despite the fear and sense of loss, Padgett said the deaths did not shake his convictions about firefighting.
"Sure, you get scared," he said. "You think to yourself, will it be my turn next? But you know someone has to do it. If you let the fear get to you, it could destroy you. If you go into a burning building with that thought, you could endanger people's lives."
Published in The Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) on Monday, February 25, 1991. (nc)
Bruce Derrick Padgett was a firefighter with Engine Company 11 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is no obit on his tribute page but in the comments section, he is described as "a Good man and a Great Firefighter who will be sadly missed."
The following is an article about an interview with Mr. Padgett following a devastating fire that was fatal to three of his fellow firefighters:
YOU THINK . . . WILL IT BE MY TURN NEXT?
By Nancy Hass
Daily News Staff Writer
It started as a typical lazy Saturday afternoon, with firefighter Bruce Padgett of Engine 11 ribbing his pal Phil McAllister as they passed each other during the shift change at the firehouse at 6th and South streets.
Just hours later, McAllister and two other firefighters, including the company's captain, were dead, smothered by smoke on the 28th floor of One Meridian Center.
At Engine 11, which was originally the city's black firehouse, there was numb silence yesterday morning. And there was pain, live as a severed nerve.
"You can't imagine the feeling," said Padgett, his voice calm, but his eyes filling with tears. "One minute the guys are here, next to you, joking, and then you realize you'll never see them again."
Padgett, who was called back to duty to fight the blaze at 11 p.m. Saturday, learned of the deaths as he stood battling flames several floors below the spot where the men's bodies were found.
It was the worst fire he had fought in seven years on the job. Finding out about his co-workers' deaths made the smoke burn even more in his throat.
"Inside, I was useless after I heard, but we kept on fighting," he said. "Finally at 10 a.m., they said we had to leave, that we'd been there too long."
The three men who were killed were from the same five-man platoon. The driver of the pumper survived; the fifth member of the platoon had called in sick that afternoon. His colleagues wouldn't disclose his name.
"He is in the worst shape of all," Padgett said. "He feels terrible that he wasn't there with them. He was here at the firehouse until just a few minutes ago. We were trying to get him to go home, but he wouldn't leave."
"In a fire company of 18, losing three is like have a huge chunk of your family obliterated," said Lt. Kenneth Krauss, a platoon leader who came to the firehouse yesterday morning. "Most of the firefighters in the company had dropped by the firehouse to support each other," he said.
"There wasn't much to do, but it felt better just to have each other around," he said. As he spoke, a young firefighter passed behind him, brushing a gentle hand across the back of the officer's nylon jacket.
"All you can do is talk about it," Krauss said. "Generally, we're into this macho thing where we just stuff it down, but now we're learning that we have to talk about it."
The pay phone in the lobby of the modern brick firehouse rang often, with family members and friends calling to ask if the guys were OK, if they could do anything to help.
"My sister just called," Padgett said. "She knew some guys had been killed and they were from this company. Until I answered the phone, she didn't know it wasn't me."
Despite the fear and sense of loss, Padgett said the deaths did not shake his convictions about firefighting.
"Sure, you get scared," he said. "You think to yourself, will it be my turn next? But you know someone has to do it. If you let the fear get to you, it could destroy you. If you go into a burning building with that thought, you could endanger people's lives."
Published in The Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) on Monday, February 25, 1991. (nc)
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BRUCE D
PADGETT SR
SGT
US MARINE CORPS
VIETNAM
JUN 12 1952
MAR 3 2017
I FOUGHT A
GOOD
FIGHT
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