Off-duty firefighter helps fellow firefighter during heart attack

LEOMINSTER, Mass. — An off-duty firefighter jumped into action to help save a man having a heart attack, who happened to be a veteran firefighter from one town over.

Derek Ranno was driving in his truck with his daughter Friday when he heard a call over the dispatch.

"I had just driven by and I heard the dispatch and I was like,'I was just there' so I spun around, parked my truck and that's where I saw the Jeep," he said.

Ranno knew immediately something was wrong - the car had crashed into a fence on someone's yard. Ranno, aT firefighter and EMT was off-duty, but didn't hesitate to help.

Emergency officials said the driver had suffered a heart attack when he crashed. Ranno was helping the man, when he realized it looked familiar. It turned out the man was another firefighter from neighboring Fitchburg, 28 year veteran Marty Kukkula.

For two minutes, Ranno gave Kukkula CPR until his fellow firefighters who were working arrived on scene.

"We are all grateful for Derek's actions and how much he helped Marty out at the scene," said Fitchburg Deputy Chief Gregg Normandin.

Ranno doesn't think he did anything special.

"I just do what I think is right," he said.

Kukkula is still recovering in the hospital.

Cox Media Group