Charlotte, North Carolina - On Saturday April 28th around 11:00 pm, Charlotte firefighters responded to a burning home. While en route, they were notified that an elderly man was trapped in his home. This is when seconds count and firefighters must be dressed and protected for very dangerous conditions. Charlotte firefighter Jason McIntosh was assigned the important task of stretching a hose line to the front door, where heavy fire was blowing out the door and window. His actions, keeping the escalating fire in check, allowed two other firefighters to crawl into the home and rescue the 76-year-old man. The difficult fire, heat, and smoke conditions took their toll on firefighter McIntosh. He spent the night in the hospital for treatment of second-degree burns. Yes, Jason did receive significant burns to his hand area, but he did make a complete recovery and has returned to his fire fighting. The Charlotte Fire Department has always provided the best personal protective equipment (PPE) and that includes PBI Gold turnout gear, allowing firefighters to work in conditions that can change for the worse very quickly. “Maybe 15 years ago, under these types of fire conditions, firefighter McIntosh would have faired much worse if not for the quality of fire gear he was wearing that night,” said Fire Chief Luther L. Fincher. “This fire department is committed to providing the best equipment available to ensure our firefighters can do the task of making the rescue.”