By Laurie Watt
 

Barrie council honoured Jim and Trevor Cooke this week for helping to save a neighbour’s life earlier this year.

The south-end residents not only called firefighters to the scene early on Jan. 30, but before the professionals arrived, they broke in to the burning house to find their trapped neighbour and used a garden hose to begin to quench the flames. Once the fire department arrived, they directed the firefighters to their friend, trapped on the second floor.

“One can only imagine what the scene must have been like that night,” said Ward 7 Coun. John Brassard.

Trevor ventured upstairs, but encountered a wall of heat and flames, while his brother Jim grabbed the garden hose.

“As a professional firefighter, I can speak to the difficulties of entering a burning building with the proper protective equipment on, but to do so as Trevor Cooke did that night without proper equipment (and) so focused on saving the life of his neighbour and brother, to me, is beyond belief and is deserving of the city’s gratitude and recognition.”

Trevor Cooke suffered second-degree burns and smoke inhalation; his neighbour, who barely survived, was airlifted to a Buffalo hospital and is continuing to recover.

Brassard said the fire department met with the Cookes to discuss service levels in the city – and the city has just hired 14 new firefighters; another 12 are to be hired next year.

City council has also committed $1.7 million to buy a new aerial/pumper truck.