Local police chief, wife displaced after house fire
Kelly Tunney | 缅北禁地
Southwest Regional Police Chief John Hartman鈥檚 home in Jeannette burned last month. Through the fire, Hartman says, he has been given a new way to connect to the families he helps at fires.
Kelly Tunney | 缅北禁地
The Jeannette home of Southwest Regional Police Chief John Hartman鈥檚 home burned last month, along with two neighbors鈥� homes. Through the fire, Hartman says, he has been given a new way to connect to the families he helps at fires.
A local police chief and his wife have been displaced for nearly a month after their house in Jeannette, Westmoreland County was severely damaged in a fire.
Southwest Regional Police Chief John Hartman said he said he woke up at 2:30 a.m. Aug. 17 when a propane tank vented at a neighboring house where the fire began.
鈥淚t sounded like a pop and a roar. It woke everyone out of a dead sleep,鈥� he said. 鈥淓verything is bathed in yellow and gold.鈥�
The fire spread quickly, igniting a house on the other side of Hartman鈥檚. He said he attempted to fight the fire, but quickly determined it could not be stopped without additional manpower and equipment.
Hartman, his wife and their dog escaped uninjured.
鈥淟iterally sitting in a field across from your home and watching your belongings burn is tough,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou get a sense of what people go through when they are victims.鈥�
Hartman, who heads the department that covers areas in Washington, Westmoreland, Fayette and Greene counties, and his wife are living in a hotel. He said they are hoping to move into a rental property this week. About $100,000 in damage to their townhouse will be repaired between Thanksgiving and March, he said.
鈥淵ou figure this is a month on, and it鈥檚 still impacting us. We aren鈥檛 settled. Living in a hotel is wonderful for the first 11 minutes,鈥� he said.
Hartman said becoming a victim of a fire gave him a new perspective on what victims endure.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trained to go through this stuff. But we鈥檙e trained to go through it with the perspective of a responder,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no training for anyone on having to watch your house burn.鈥�
He said that he has always been sympathetic to victims, but now he has a deeper understanding of their feelings.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not that I will do something differently or feel something differently, it鈥檚 the intensity of those feelings,鈥� he said.
The police chief also said he further understands the importance of firefighters and the American Red Cross.
鈥淣ot that I鈥檇 never seen firefighters fight a fire before, but they were fighting my house fire. And the Red Cross, they鈥檙e angels,鈥� he said.
He said the Red Cross was there immediately to provide assistance and support. Even days later, he said they would call regularly to see if the Hartmans needed help.
鈥淲e are coming upon a season where people give,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd the Red Cross, they were incredible.鈥�
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. No injuries were reported.