Philadelphia firefighter Randy Ballinger speaks out after falling from burning roof
"My last memory, I was still on top of the roof," he recalled.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Firefighter Randy Ballinger fell off a two-story rowhome on February 25.
He says his job as the guy on roof duty is to make sure everyone gets down before he does.
Wearing his issued helmet correctly helped to save his life that day.
"My last memory, I was still on top of the roof," he recalled.
A moment later, he was being rushed into the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
Ballinger spent the next 11 days at the trauma center until he was finally released. When he was, he was greeted by members of his department cheering him on.
"There's no place like home," he said.
The 38-year-old father of two is a firefighter with Ladder 13. He fell 25 feet off the roof of a burning home on the 1100 block of South Paxton Street.
Ballinger has a long road ahead, suffering a punctured lung, broken pelvis, and fractures in his legs. He also underwent heart surgery.
He's also got a lot of support. A GoFundMe page has raised nearly $87,000 for his family.
"I just pledge that we're going to put that money to good use here in the house to make it safer for me in my current condition," he said.
Ballinger's next goal is to be back with his bands. He plays bass with the punk rock group "Jersey Calling," and bagpipes with the Philadelphia Police and Fire Pipes and Drums, who honor fallen officers and firefighters.
"When you're a bagpiper, and you play a lot of these memorials, you know not only are they possible, they're likely," he said.
Thankfully, Ballinger's story turned out differently.
He's made a promise to himself to get back to Ladder 13.
"I want to get back to it, get back in action, and make a difference," he said.
It's clear that he already has made a difference.
