What some people consider routine, others consider heroic. Ben Tacy and Shawn Bourne fall in the former category and Jennifer Stumpo Duarte falls in the latter.

 

In this particularly case, Duarte believes what Tacy and Bourne did on April 22, 2016 heroic in ways that will always impact her life and that of her family. What they did on that particular day provided Duarte and her sister Traci Terango and other family and friends of their father was something no one can put a price tag on – time.

 

Duarte already knew about the value of time with a loved one and for all the wrong reasons. It was nearly 10 years ago, in June of that year she said, the family lost their mother in a car accident.

 

“There was no chance to say goodbye. There was no chance for anyone to say anything at all. The loss of one of your parents is so hard to deal with, but in a manner like that you feel an added level of emptiness,” said Duarte.

 

It was nearly a year ago to this day when Tacy, a firefighter-paramedic, and Bourne, a firefighter and EMT, were on duty at the Bridgeport Fire Department when the call came in. What they would end up doing would assure that Jennifer Stumpo Duarte, her sister or anyone else would not be left with the added level of emptiness that fate had so unkindly thrust upon them once before.

 

The call that came that day was for a structure fire at the Crestview Terrace Apartments. For those that follow scanner traffic or follow emergency services chatter, calls for structure fires are rare. They’re even rarer in Bridgeport and when they turn out to be an actual fire as opposed to a false alarm it is the rarest of the fire commodities.

 

Yet when Tacy and Bourne arrived that day at Crestview Terrace, they knew long before getting there that this wasn’t a false alarm. Smoke billowed from the complex and could be seen from blocks away.

 

This situation was far from ordinary.

 

“When you’re in this business, you realize every call is dangerous and they all have hazards,” said Bridgeport Fire Chief Phil Hart. “This call, though, was at another level when the crews arrived because they arrived to a structure engulfed with heavy smoke and heat being among the major things that had to be dealt with.”

 

While Duarte said there was no way the firefighters could know if anyone was in the structure, Hart said the two men felt there was a chance.

 

“We thought there may be someone inside because one of the other occupants of another apartment said an elderly man lived there and the car was sitting outside,” said Hart. “They knew it was possible and they entered and were actually able to locate him very quickly and bring him out.”

 

The man brought out was 70-year-old Lewis Anthony Stumpo. It’s safe to say Tacy or Bourne nor did any other member know who it was they had just removed from the inferno behind them.

 

Lewis Anthony Stumpo was many things.  He was a Vietnam veteran, a retired salesman, a father, a grandfather, a brother, an uncle, and a man who was courageously battling stage 4 lung cancer that was a good man.

 

“He was very much loved and adored,” said Duarte.

 

Call it instinct or human nature or the very thing that makes people like firefighters do what they do, but they knew all of those things or even none of those things described the man they had just pulled from the building. It didn't matter. All they knew was they had to try and save his life.

 

“We did life support measures by our personnel immediately at the scene as soon as he was out,” said Hart. “Ben started the life support with others on the scene and Shawn and others entered back into the building to attack the fire.

 

“I’ve been with Bridgeport for 27 years and in firefighting for nearly 40 years and I can tell you it’s tough not to get caught up in the emotion of it,” Hart continued. “Once you locate that victim, you need to bring them out and start the patient assessment and do what you have to do.”

 

Stumpo was taken to North Central West Virginia Airport by the Anmoore Emergency Squad. From there, he was flown to the West Penn Burn Center in Pennsylvania. This man, so important to someone the firefighters didn’t know, was being saved; if only for a while.

 

“They didn’t have to do enter that building; the building was engulfed with fire. I know when they opened the door it was nothing but fire, but they risked their lives to risk to save my father and they miraculously did,” said Duarte. “I know they were doing their job, but what they did was give him a shot to live longer; a shot he would not have had otherwise.”

 

Hart said that’s exactly the way his staff looks at every call.

 

“They’ll be the first to tell you they didn’t do anything special other than doing their daily job,” said Duarte. “I know they’re heroes to the family in this case because of what they allowed.”

 

What they allowed was a chance at closure. The efforts led by Tacy and Bourne and backed by the rest of the emergency personnel gave the family and friends of Lewis Stumpo something he would not have had without them – 19 days of life.

 

“No one thought he would live through the night,” said Duarte, “but he did. I was thinking about my mother all over again, but even though most of the 19 days were terrible, we had time. In a situation like what we were facing, there’s no price we could put on the time.”

 

For 12 of those days, Stumpo was on life support. For seven, however, he was not.

 

“We had seven days to get closure. We had seven days, all of us, to tell him everything we wanted to tell him,” said Duarte.

 

On May 11, Lewis Anthony Stumpo passed away. There was loss, but the added level of emptiness felt when Duarte's mother passed was not there. She had those two men, the Bridgeport Fire Department and all that responded that day to thank for it. Along with the first two in, she also had special words of praise for Hart.

 

“What a Godsend (Hart) was those 19 days. He was so very caring and concerned. He was very patient with us and respectful and so helpful with any information we, or the doctors needed, for my dad’s care,” said Duarte. “Again, no amount of words can thank him enough for all he did during that time.”

 

Knowing Hart and his staff, I’m certain they’re appreciative of Duarte’s kind words. As it turns out, the peers of the firemen involved were also appreciative of the actions of Tacy and Bourne.

 

On April 21, the Harrison County Bureau of Emergency Services Awards Banquet was held at the Bridgeport Conference Center – the same center Duarte’s husband Scott has a large role in running. While there, Scott Duarte ran into Phil Hart who introduced Jennifer’s husband to the men that prolonged his father-in-law’s life.

 

“We knew the anniversary was coming of the fire and we wanted to do something for the guys at the station and Scott let me know they were being honored. When I found out those men got this award for saving my Dad, tears flowed,” she said. “It couldn't have gone to two better men.”

 

On Saturday a week ago today, Jennifer and Scott Duarte took a meal to the fire department. She didn’t get a chance to meet Tacy and Bourne or Hart. Outside of dozens of correspondence by phone or text, Jennifer Duarte had just one brief encounter with Chief Hart at the scene of the fire.

 

“I wouldn’t know them if I saw them, but I want to meet them,” said Duarte. “I’m sure they were like the men we met (last) Saturday. They were so humble and would never ask for anything for what they did, but bringing them something was the least we could do.”

 

Hart said the meeting can, and will, happen. He said he’ll make it happen. Duarte said she needs it to happen to add a final piece of closure.

 

“I think the final thing, for me, is to say thank you to all of them. I’ll tell them what I’ll tell you. It’s not just a thank you from me. It’s from my sister, our husbands, our kids and the Stumpo family,” she said. “We were able to say our goodbyes because of them. They allowed a miracle of 19 days to happen.”

 

Editor's Note: Top and bottom photo shows Lewis Anthony Stumpo with his daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren. Second photo shows Fire Chief Phil Hart, left, with Ben Tacy, middle, and Shawn Bourne after the pair were recognized for their efforts in the blaze. Next two photos are from the fire that took place last April.