On Monday, a house fire in Glenville, New York, was brought under control early thanks to the actions of neighbor Robert Counter, a firefighter with the Beukendaal Volunteer Fire Department. While off duty at home, Counter smelled smoke coming from the home of Shelley and David Kislowski and rushed next door before emergency crews arrived. He used a garden hose to cool the fire and helped ensure the couple’s 21-year-old son safely got out of the house.
Counter says he ran across his yard, moved obstacles, and dragged the hose into position before a 911 call had even been made. After he cooled the garage area and the ceiling, firefighters from the Beukendaal Volunteer Fire Department and Thomas Corners Fire Department arrived and extinguished the remaining fire. The Kislowskis’ son had been sleeping in a room directly above the garage when the fire broke out.
The Kislowskis and the Counters have been neighbors and friends for over seven years. Shelley says the Counter family regularly helps neighbors and that Robert Counter’s actions during the fire were consistent with the kind of neighbor he has always been. She credits him with saving her son, dog, and home.
Source: NEWS 10