NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — The North Charleston Fire Department (NCFD) awarded Dashawn Joseph the 2023 Citizen Award for extinguishing a fire at a construction site in late September.
According to the NCFD, the fire started on Sept. 22 at approximately 5:08 a.m. at 3287 Pacific St. A trash buggy full of general construction debris caught fire in an unfinished clubhouse building at an under-construction apartment complex. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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Joseph, who is a driver for Atlantic Roofing, was unloading a truck when a co-worker mentioned she smelled smoke out front. Noticing the fire, Joseph attempted to put it out with an extinguisher. After discovering the gate to the construction site was locked, according to the NCFD, Joseph scaled an eight-food chain link fence to reach the fire and extinguish it.
Fire personnel say Joseph was able to knock down the fire with the extinguisher, but it rekindled. Joseph then retrieved a five-gallon bucket from a dumpster and utilized an on-site portable pump in conjunction with the bucket to successfully eliminate the fire. After the fire was out, Joseph met with NCFD suppression personnel and guided them to where the fire originated to ensure it was fully extinguished.
“It is my opinion that Mr. Joseph’s extraordinary efforts were paramount in saving this structure,” Fire Investigator Michael Clarke said in a statement. “He went well out of his way, risking life and limb, to render aid where he had no reason to, other than simply being a good person.”
“Mr. Joseph’s actions are a wonderful display of NCFD’s Core Values of honor, courage, and compassion, as well as a reminder of why we all got into this profession in the first place,” he continued in his statement.
abcnews4.com
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