Buffalo firefighters recover after grueling work week

BUFFALO, N.Y. — It’s been a tough week for Buffalo firefighters.

While responding to calls like the ones received this week is part of the job, battling two fires sparked by two alarms in the span of 36 hours can take its toll.

“They have been very difficult for the crews,” Buffalo Fire Commissioner William Renaldo told 2 On Your Side Thursday.

The difficult week began early Monday morning with crews responding to a two-alarm fire at The Old Pink, where they faced such intense flames and heavy smoke that they were unable to attack it inside.

No one was injured, but the Allentown bar later had to be demolished.

“We work 24 (hours) on 24 (hours) off, so keep your fingers crossed that the next shift will be a little lighter,” Renaldo said.

But the next change only brought more of the same.

The same crew began their next shift in the Cobblestone District, arriving on scene just before 8 p.m. and battling another fire until late in the morning.

“This has harmful consequences,” Renaldo said. “The equipment they carry weighs between 75 and 100 pounds.”

The commissioner said times like these are why certain resources are in place — like limiting firefighters to one oxygen tank at a time, having an EMS officer monitoring them on scene and emphasizing hydration between fires.

Weeks like these are never easy, forcing even the proudest in the profession to take a step back.