Displaying items by tag: Marvin Avenue

To say that Akron firefighters were busy Friday morning is an understatement.

After battling an early morning house fire, firefighters made a quick turnaround to head over to an elementary school -- delivering hundreds of coats, hats and gloves to students.

Hundreds of students lined up in the cafeteria at McEbright CLC to make sure their new coat fit just right. Each coat was personalized with the students' name -- hats and gloves included.

Firefighter Matt Coleman organized this year's Operation Warm event.

"It gives all of us firemen a perspective on the meaning of Christmas and getting to come out and touch the community in a different way," said Coleman.

Click the image below to view additional photos from the Operation Warm event.

But before some firefighters could prepare for Friday's coat delivery, they were busy battling a house fire on Marvin Avenue in Highland Square.

"Four of these guys pulled a guy out a building and save him around 7:45 this morning. They went back, took a shower and now they're here handing out coats."

Just hours before, half of the firefighters at the event were battling a house fire on Marvin Avenue in Highland Square around 6 a.m. The blaze left one man with first and second degree burns. The man was found about eleven minutes after fire crews arrived had to be rescued. At least one other person escaped without help.

Mike Kranek was one of the firefighters who responded to the morning blaze, but he wanted to make he didn't miss out on this year's Operation Warm event.

"Some of these kids probably don't have much of a Christmas so if we can do a little something to make they're day better, that's what it's all about," said Kranek.

It was a morning filled with emotions for Kranek and his fellow firefighters.

"You're going a 100 miles a minute going to the fire, and then you deal with the fire and you're exhausted," said Kranek. "And then you go home to take an shower and you get rejuvenated because you know this is important."