Different organizations, whether the government or private companies, always prepare us for disaster through drills. Whether it’s fire, earthquake, or tornado, we are oriented on what to do in an emergency.
However, those drills could never compare to what transpires in real-life situations. Once disaster breaks loose, our initial reaction is to panic. We all know that will never be helpful in any situation, but who could blame us, right?
Sometimes, these knee-jerk reactions would lead to unexpected acts of heroism and kindness. Our instinct to help people in the middle of danger would lead us to do or use anything that would make sense at that very moment.
And as for this teen, his first instinct was to grab a trampoline.
Early morning fire
17-year-old Falon O’Regan was about to sleep when he noticed something different by his door. He told FOX that he had just laid down and called it a day but saw that there was an orange light from outside.
Curious, he opened his door to check it out, only to find the entire porch engulfed in flames. Their apartment complex in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, was on fire, and Falon panicked at that moment.
He grabbed his personal belongings, went to the ground floor, kicked the window, and jumped right out. But at the back of his mind was this itch, knowing there were still other families stuck inside.
Bring out trampoline in case of fire
Falon knew he should help bring others to safety but had no idea what to do. A neighbor suggested using a blanket to catch people who would jump out of the window. Falon first thought of a pool, but it was too heavy to bring to the position.
Then, their neighbor suggested they could use his trampoline, which was the most brilliant idea. Falon and his neighbor yanked the trampoline in position, ready for people to jump on with less-to-know impact on their bodies.
Teenage hero’s quick action
According to Falon, there were two (of each) adults, children, and dogs that were able to jump out and land on the trampoline. The others were able to run out or were rescued by the fire department. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. Only a few were sent to the hospital because they inhaled too much smoke.
Falon shrugged off the thought of being called a hero because he believed he only did what he needed to do. He wanted to save lives and helped out in the best way possible. Even in a panicked state, he could think straight about the right thing to do.
Aside from Falon and his family, there were other families – 12 adults and six kids – displaced because of the fire. The O’Regans are staying in a hotel while trying to figure out how to start anew.
The apartment complex is not livable anymore, so Falon set up a GoFundMe page for whoever wants to help his family rebuild. He also encouraged others to help out other families in need.
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