An Orange County firefighter who was severely hurt in a rollover crash involving several other colleagues is heading home – just in time for the holidays. Hetty Chang reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024.
Nearly two months after a rollover crash injured eight Orange County Firefighters Authority crew members, we are hearing for the first time from one of them.
Andrew Brown, 24, has a long road to recovery but his family and friends say that recovery so far has been remarkable. Through Brown’s journey, his bright smile never left his face and we now know, he has a positive attitude to match it.
“As far as where I’m at, versus where I’m expected to be at, I couldn’t be happier,” said Brown from Craig Hospital, a rehab facility in Colorado. The firefighter has been at the medical center since October, receiving therapy for injuries to his neck, shoulder and spinal cord.
No one expected Brown would be walking so soon.
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“I was told it’s a two-year process of recovery,” said Brown. “So, the fact that I'm walking and moving my arms and stuff is a really good sign. I’m really hopeful for how much I'm going to get back.”
Back to work is where Brown wants to be someday, along with his second family -- the OCFA Santiago Handcrew.
On Sept. 19, Brown and several other colleagues were returning home from battling the Airport Fire when they were involved in a rollover crash. A ladder on the road forced the driver of the truck carrying the firefighters to swerve, causing the vehicle to hit a guard rail and roll over.
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Brown was one of the most critically hurt of the eight injured firefighters.
“It was like a normal drive back,” said Brown of that tragic night. “And then what I remember is, the buggy starting to tip over.”
Brown says he doesn’t remember the crash itself.
“I thought I was going to die,” said Brown. “In the ambulance, I was really hoping and praying that my wife would be taken care of. But made it. Thank God.”
Brown, whose firefighter father inspired him to follow in his footsteps, has only been a firefighter for two years, but he considers his fellow firefighters family. The firefighting union and the OCFA are looking to raise half a million dollars for Brown and the other injured firefighters because some may not be able to return to duty for a while.
“We can't do this job alone, and Andrew is a perfect example of when the team comes together, what we can achieve,” said Chris Hamm, president of the Orange County Professional Firefighters Local 3631.
“So, we can put out a 25,000-acre fire like the Airport Fire or we can get one of our members back on the seat in less than eight weeks, so it's pretty exciting and inspiring to see what firefighters do every single day across this country," he said.
Brown also finds strength from his family back home in Corona, which is about to get a bit bigger.
“My biggest motivation is probably my pregnant wife,” said Brown. “We're going to have our first kid like December 15th!”
Brown is expected to return home Friday -- just in time for the holidays.
“It’s a girl. I'm super scared, but I'm super excited,” said Brown. “It's going to be awesome.”
Two of the injured firefighters have returned to work and one is still in the hospital.
