Lt. Ed Mullen honored for lifesaving efforts

NJCU 2005 Fire Science Summa cum Laude graduate Ed Mullen was recently honored by the Perth Amboy City Council for his lifesaving efforts. Lt. Mullen was first appointed as a Firefighter to the Perth Amboy Fire Department in 2004 and then promoted to Lieutenant in June 2010. Lt. Mullen having only six years as a firefighter with Perth Amboy Fire Department has twice been honored for endangering his own life to save the lives of others.

Previously, when Lt. Mullen was only a firefighter for one year, he received the IAFF Valor Award in 2005 for placing his life in danger while rescuing a victim from a window during a fire; hence saving her life. Now, only five years later, Lt. Mullen again has placed his life in danger while saving the life of an unconscious man trapped in a vehicle.

In the early morning hours of October 22, 2010, emergency services were dispatched to a truck fire on Route 440. As they pulled up they found a tractor trailer engulfed in flames and an unconscious man in a second vehicle several feet away. As the truck continued to burn, diesel fuel and water began to flow toward the second vehicle. As the liquid began to flow, it ignited and continued to flow toward the other vehicle and emergency responders. However, due to the quick-thinking of Lt. Mullen and fellow Firefighter Kayser they immediately slowed the movement of the liquid by using dry absorbent and a fire extinguisher. While Lt. Mullen and Firefighter Kayser proceeded to slow the movement of the liquid, two other rescue workers were able to remove the victim from the vehicle. No sooner had the victim been removed when the vehicle itself became engulfed in flames.

Congratulations Lt. Mullen on a job well done!