NORTH LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - It was a routine call for a South Florida firefighter, but his actions would end up saving a young life. Now, that firefighter is being honored as a hero.
It was a moment of pure panic as flames took over a North Lauderdale home in December, where a toddler and her mother were still inside.
A neighbor prayed that the two would pull through.
That’s when fire North Lauderdale Fire Rescue Lt. Houston Holcombe and his team answered that prayer.
“At the end of the day, at the fire rescue, at these calls, it’s really a team effort. It’s not just one person,” Holcombe said.
At 1 a.m., straight from a dead sleep, the firefighters ran into the fierce flames and pulled the mother and daughter from inside.
Holcombe performed CPR on the 2-year-old and saved her life.
His heroic act is why he’s being recognized as the National Association of EMT’s Paramedic of the Year.
“Sometimes we don’t get this closure or proper recognition and we just go on day to day, so to be noticed and awarded is, you know, it’s a great feeling,” he said.
Holcombe is an unsung hero who has served the North Lauderdale community for more than six years.
Not only is he being awarded for his brave actions during that fire, he already received the best reward a paramedic could get.
“We don’t really see these full recoveries,” he said. “You know, the 2-year-old and her mother actually made a full recovery, came by the station, actually saw us. We got to talk and they made a 100% recovery. In this kind of scenario, that usually doesn’t happen. So it’s very rare to have this good of an outcome.”
There is a long list of paramedics since the 80s that have been named Paramedic of the Year, and Holcombe is the first from South Florida.
On that day, his dedication allowed a mother and her baby girl to come back to their family.
He may be the one receiving the award but Holcombe said he’s accepting it for his whole station.
“Super humbling but without my partners on the rescue and everyone on the fire scene, it’s just not one person, it all comes together as a team effort,” he said. “It really is super gratifying and humbling.”
Holcombe is set to receive the award on Sept. 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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