Firefighters Rescue Window Washers - North Carolina

4 rescued from platform outside Durham Courthouse: Durham firefighters successfully rescued four window washers stuck on a platform nearly 200 feet in the air Thursday afternoon. The rope rescue took two hours as Firefighter Brandon Elliott descended 15 feet from the rooftop of the new Durham Courthouse onto the scaffolding. "One or two of then looked a little nervous, but no one was physically injured," said Elliott.  "It was all mental stuff, they had been there for a few hours and they were ready to come off and we got them down."
Steve Broussard was one of the four workers stuck on the platform ten stories high. "It scared me, when I get scared... you know it scared me and it takes me to a point of you know get me out of here," said Broussard. One by one a team of 20 firefighters harnessed and hoisted the men to safety on the roof. Fire Captain David Elston told NBC 17 News the scaffolding company brought in a part to fix the platform and lower it to the ground. Mangum Street from Pettigrew to the Durham Freeway was closed for part of the day. You can listen to more reaction of this daring rescue in the video monitor above.

Firefighters Rescue Window Washers Outside New Courthouse: Durham firefighters made a dramatic rescue of four window washers Thursday after they got stuck between the eighth and nine floors outside the new downtown courthouse. The platform they were on called a swing stage locked up just before noon as the washers for Sparkle and Shine were cleaning the windows. Firefighters from the Durham Fire Department's Technical Rescue Team responded, taking the elevator to the roof of the 11-story building under construction at South Mangum and Dillard streets. Using a rope system, they lowered a firefighter and one of the scaffolding company's engineers about 12 feet to the platform.

They determined that a piece of equipment was needed and sent for it, according to Battalion Fire Chief David Elston. Meanwhile, firefighters used ropes and harnesses to raise the washers off the swing stage and onto the roof to safety. A company engineer from Associated Scaffolding fixed the problem and firefighters lowered the swing stage to the ground. No one was hurt. Elston said the call came in to firefighters at 11:49 a.m. and the platform was lowered to the ground at 2:09 p.m.

He said Durham County Emergency Medical Services personnel stood by, and Durham police blocked off Mangum Street at Pettigrew Street to traffic. "The window washers were very appreciative to get off there," Elston said. "They were pretty spooked when they were stuck." Elston said firefighters train for similar emergencies all the time, but are seldom required to put that knowledge into practice. "It's nice sometimes to be able to use what we train for to help somebody," he said. "We were completely confident in being able to get them out safely."

Durham firefighters made a dramatic rescue of four window washers Thursday after they got stuck between the eighth and nine floors outside the new downtown courthouse. The platform they were on -- called a swing stage -- locked up just before noon as the washers for Sparkle and Shine were cleaning the windows.

Firefighters from the Durham Fire Department's Technical Rescue Team responded, taking the elevator to the roof of the 11-story building under construction at South Mangum and Dillard streets. Using a rope system, they lowered a firefighter and one of the scaffolding company's engineers about 12 feet to the platform. They determined that a piece of equipment was needed and sent for it, according to Battalion Fire Chief David Elston. Meanwhile, firefighters used ropes and harnesses to raise the washers off the swing stage and onto the roof to safety.

A company engineer from Associated Scaffolding fixed the problem and firefighters lowered the swing stage to the ground. Elston said the call came in to firefighters at 11:49 a.m. and the platform was lowered to the ground at 2:09 p.m. He said Durham County Emergency Medical Services personnel stood by, and Durham police blocked off Mangum Street at Pettigrew Street to traffic. "The window washers were very appreciative to get off there," Elston said. "They were pretty spooked when they were stuck." Elston said firefighters train for similar emergencies all the time, but are seldom required to put that knowledge into practice. "It's nice sometimes to be able to use what we train for to help somebody," he said. "We were completely confident in being able to get them out safely."