KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tuesday was anything but an ordinary day for Fire Station 25, but it certainly was a day they’ll never forget.
“It’s one of those once-in-a-career type calls,” said Station 25 Fire Captain Ryan Cummings.
That call happened to be for a rescue from a 43-story building, which came in around 10:15 a.m. Tuesday.
“Luckily, we could see him from I-75, just because of how tall the building is,” said Cummings. “So, kind of got a good view of what was going on.”
Fire captain Ryan Cummings and his team were called to a high-angle rescue at One Kansas City Place, the tallest building in the state.
“I’m driving,” said firefighter Bill Young. “These guys are automatically preparing in their head for what they might face.”
Nothing could prepare them for the sight of a man hanging from the 23rd floor. A window washer hardware had broken, leaving him stuck in the air. It was his backup harness that kept him suspended and alive.
“He was actually very calm,” said Young.
This is where the story becomes about the right place at the right time. As emergency crews were accessing the building, a Santa Fe Glass worker was spotted in the lobby.
“By chance, the Sante Fe glass company happens to walk past and they’re like ‘Oh, yeah they’re here fixing some windows,'” said Cummings. “And I’m like, I need you for something real quick. And plan A was to take the window out, so that was kind of handy.”
With the help of the glass workers, they removed the window and pulled the guy into safety. The initial call to his rescue all took place in less than 40 minutes.
“I’ve got a lot of pride in these guys,” said Young. “I think everything that we work on, it showed up there.”
While they don’t do it for the recognition, they say they are thankful and honored by the community’s support.
“It does make you feel good,” said Young. “It makes you feel even more that the community’s got your support, got your back.”
KCFD said the window washer's partner "remained there with him to keep him calm" until the man was rescued. No one was injured.
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