Sixteen Arkansas firefighters — and one news photographer — were recognized Tuesday for their efforts in a March apartment fire in which a mother and her 2-year-old child were rescued.
Larry Potter, who works in Pine Bluff for Little Rock's ABC affiliate, KATV, was one of the first people on the scene when a building in the 4300 block of Union Avenue went up in flames March 7, Fire Chief Shauwn Howell said.
Despite not being able to go into the building, Potter, 61, assisted by yelling for people to get out and getting video footage, which Howell said has helped the department investigate blazes in the past.
"We all play a role, no matter how big or how small," Howell said of presenting Potter and the firefighters with the department's Distinguished Service Award. "He was just as important because he was able to relay information."
The woman and and the toddler both survived, though the child is still being treated for smoke inhalation at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, Howell said. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.