Neptune Firefighter Ran Into Burning Apartment, Saved Person Inside

NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP, NJ — Last Friday morning, a Neptune Township firefighter pulled a man from a burning apartment in the Brighton Arms apartment complex.

Specifically, firefighter Franklin Doremus is being hailed as a hero, as he was off duty that day but responded to the call anyway. He responded solely as a volunteer, while he was technically off duty with the Neptune City Fire Department.

The call of the fire came in early Friday morning in Brighton Arms. There were multiple apartment units on fire, and there were heavy fire conditions, said authorities.

As firefighters started to extinguish the fire, a victim was seen from a first-floor apartment window.

Without hesitation, Doremus entered the apartment in zero visibility to search for the victim. Upon finding the victim, Doremus pulled them to safety out of the apartment.

Once outside the apartment, Wanamassa Fire Company Chief Nick Dowling assisted with getting the victim to EMS to be transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

"The members of the Neptune Uniformed Firefighters Local 2691 are extremely proud of FF Doremus for his actions, resulting in the victim surviving. The Neptune City Fire Department and all the mutual aid departments that responded did a tremendous job extinguishing the fire."