Firefighting brothers get bronze medals By JANE MCHUGH Staff Writer
It isn't every day you get the chance to be a hero. But for two Bowie brothers who are professional Prince George's County firefighters, March 23, 2007 presented them with that unique but risky opportunity.
Early that morning, John and Jason Wiseman, who work at separate fire houses in Bowie, were driving along Route 202 from their homes in Calvert County to Prince George's Community College where they were taking classes to become paramedics. As they neared the college in Largo, they saw a large column of smoke rising in the sky. The thickness and dark color of the smoke told them that it was coming from a structure.
At that instant, their training and instincts kicked in, and they turned off Route 202 and onto Route 193 to follow the smoke. The source was a house on Manor House Road off the highways. A man was standing outside; he was the owner and had already called 911. "I don't know," was his anxious reply to the brothers' question about whether people were inside. There had been a big party there the night before, he said, and he didn't know if anybody had decided to sleep over.
That day was summer-like, and the Wiseman brothers were taking advantage, wearing shorts and flip-flops. Not the best protection for what they were about to do. But then again, they had no idea when they got up that morning what a fateful day it would be.
Flames were shooting out the bottom windows of the two-story house and dense smoke had spread throughout. "I went in, found the fire room and shut the door to keep the fire from spreading," Jason said. The fire had started in a first-floor room used as a study and a bedroom. Meanwhile, John was inside making his way through the obstructing smoke to check for trapped people. He found none.
The fire department arrived. The brothers showed them the fire's origin in the study-bedroom and helped arriving firefighters advance the hose line. In minutes, the fire was out.
"By going in and looking for people, and shutting the door and cutting off the rapid spread of the fire, they played a role in limiting the amount of damage. The house was not a total loss," said Mark Brady, spokesman for the county fire department.
For their "unusual personal risk and judgment," according to a news release, the brothers were each awarded the fire department's 2007 Bronze Medal of Honor last week. Nobody was more proud than their dad, Steve Wiseman, a career firefighter for Montgomery County.
The boys were raised on fire safety. "I've been a firefighter more than 30 years and it's nice that they're recognized for doing a great job. I've always taught them about helping others and how rewarding the fire department is because you get to help people every day," Steve said.
After the house fire, John and Jason got back in their SUV and proceeded to PGCC as if nothing at all had occurred. Classmates had a hard time believing they just came from a fire. So they pointed to the faint smudges on their faces and told them to sniff their clothing, which had been permeated with the smoke. "Then everybody believed us," John said.
John, 28, works at Co. 39 on Route 450 at Free State Mall and Jason, 26, is assigned to Co. 43 off Route 301 in Pointer Ridge.
