Afragola, 1.15 of 31/07/2010, a storm rages the Neapolitan province of a sudden a roar and a three-story building coming down like paper mache. The arrival of the fire is quick, are the men of the detachment of Afragola, are the first to arrive and before they submit the tragedy. A building of three floors crumbled, call the desk and ask for reinforcements of men and equipment. They start to dig under a constant water, but they do not care, they know that their mission is to save lives.
Beyond the technical difficulties the men of the fire slowed by the interference of relatives and onlookers, understandable but not acceptable, we must act quickly under the rubble, there are people.
After nine hours of exhausting work, the first bodies are recovered, but the work does not stop after just one third body was recovered. At that point, the tragedy is clearly established, but rescuers do not stop, going on knows that one of the bodies was the grandmother of a girl of ten years.
We continue to dig, you will be aided by mechanical means, you lift the heavy pieces, place on the morning he arrived, the inspector of the Fire Brigade Francesco De Martino, instructor of temporary works, scans the scene, identifies a tunnel, it falls within. He does it by instinct, although I confess: "I did not think to find her still alive," but he is a fighter, not defeated. He slips between the rubble and walk a few feet, slips his arms in search of the child. He hears a moan. Reach out and with the tip can touch the face of the child, is the viva.Sono 13.45.
It is courage, even though he knows that the situation is critical, it can fall at any moment of the material that is not stabilized, is in danger of collapse.
Walk with the body rubs on the rubble and ensure the conditions of the small Imma, speaks to her, she has only small risponde.La the face free from the rubble. At this point you decide to open another crossing downstream to free debris from the small, operations are moving forward. At 16:15 the girl is almost free, still has one foot stuck but the work so far carried out allows to start the first health care, you dig again and at 16.45 you can leave the child and entrusting it to carry out health. Firefighters pulled the outside, he is our "Free" is the next she recognizes him and gives him a doll which until then had kept close to himself, to thank him for having pulled out. And he smiles and knows that all this was possible thanks to the great synergy of the Fire Brigade who have worked tirelessly for nearly fifteen hours. After a while to get good news from the hospital. The child is safe. Today
are passed to greet the "warrior" in his office, next to his first firefighter's helmet and the most precious things in his career has placed doll and as I said the operation in his eyes says all the excitement.
I greet him, close the door and I am grateful to have met an exceptional man.
