Ten years ago Friday, two Toledo firefighters were killed in the line of duty as they searched for potential victims, but the pain of their deaths remains an emotional memory for the department.
Firefighters Stephen Machcinski, 42, a veteran of the department, and Jamie Dickman, 31, a rookie, were killed when they were trapped in a six-unit Toledo apartment building on Magnolia Street.
For Toledo Fire Chief Allison Armstrong, Jan. 26 is still a day she remembers all too vividly.
“It was just one of those tragic events you don’t forget,” Chief Armstrong said. “I remember that day well.”
Chief Armstrong and her husband, Mike, who was also a Toledo firefighter, were at home with their son that day. It was a rare occurrence since both parents worked opposite shifts in order to have one parent at home with their son at the time.
“A friend texted me and asked if I knew what was happening at the fire since Twitter had exploded that day with the news,” she said. “I had no clue since I was home. I got on Twitter, then I listened to radio traffic. There was a report that one firefighter was in traumatic arrest. Then, a report about another firefighter. At one point, there was a question concerning how many firefighters were involved.”