Atlanta firefighters busy during Good Friday storms

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Atlanta firefighters were busy responding to call during the Good Friday storms.

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When the storms rolled in, it is common for folks to go inside and hunker down, but that's when firefighters are busiest. Atlanta Fire officials said they were busy all day and well into the evening. They responded to half a dozen calls of cars in high water, as well as numerous calls of trees and power lines down.

Atlanta firefighters were working a call in Buckhead at the intersection of Blackland Road and Tuxedo Drive when a huge oak came crashing down. Part of it landed on Engine 26. The men inside were stunned, but there was no time to think of themselves, they had urgent work to do.

The tree also landed on a delivery truck that was passing by.  It crushed the cab, trapping the driver inside.

"I heard a bunch of sirens. I heard firetrucks, a lot of commotion," said Janet Pugh who lives nearby.

Firefighters sprang into action to free the delivery driver. They were forced to go in through the passenger side. They used specialized tools to lift the large timber and prevent it from moving.

A video tweeted by the Atlanta Fire Department shows the firefighters pulling the man from the cab. He was transported to an area hospital, but his condition was not immediately known.

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As crews worked through the evening clearing debris and restoring power to the neighborhood, Janet Pugh thought about the firefighters who go into the storm to help all of us, while putting themselves in dangerous situations.

"They're heroes. We're blessed to have them we really are.  They put their lives on the line every day, they can't be appreciated enough, they're wonderful people," said Pugh.

About 2 1/2 miles south of there, the Swiftwater Team was busy going vehicle-by-vehicle checking to make sure everyone got out of newly submerged cars along Peachtree Battle Road and Woodward way. The road was closed due to the flooding.

Rescue workers said they thankfully did not find anyone inside, but remind drivers not to cross flooded roadways.

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