KATY, Texas — A 3-year-old boy was pulled unconscious from a hotel swimming pool in Katy Sunday night, and it appears fate was on his side.
Katy firefighters and EMS crews arrived just 47 seconds after receiving the drowning call at the Homewood Suites pool. The performed CPR and were able to revive the child.
Firefighters got the call Sunday evening, having only spent one day in the new Fire Station No. 2 at 25420 Bell Patna Drive. Firefighter Taylor Kunicki, who hadn’t been assigned to a truck yet, literally ran from the station to the hotel to assist on the call.
Over at least the past two years, firefighters said they’ve tried to convince city leaders that a station near the Katy Mills Mall was worth the investment.
“If this call had been dispatched out of Fire Station No. 1, it could have been a completely different outcome. Therefore, I think we have already achieved our goal,” said Mayor Chuck Brawner.
With how fast the area around the mall has developed, firefighters say it only made sense to have a facility capable of cutting down response times.
“The area near Katy Mills Mall has many high occupancy and target hazards such as hotels and is the optimal location for deployment of resources during major flooding,” said Fire Chief Russell Wilson.
Firefighters said they were in the middle of a shift change on Sunday when the drowning call came in from the Homewood Suites hotel pool.
“You hear that it’s a 3 year old, your heart starts pumping and you’re ready, you’re ready to get to work and make a difference. It’s what we signed up to do. We get the best training here. We’ve got a state-of-the-art facility,” said Lt. Harry Haynes.
First responders weren’t sure the circumstances of the child nearly drowning, but they say family members were grateful for the quick response.
The child was taken to Texas Children’s West and is expected to be OK.
Along with the first responders, Fire Chief Russell Wilson credited the dispatch crews for “doing an excellent job of talking the father through life support measures.”
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