DICKSON CITY, Pa. – A registered nurse at LVH-Cedar Crest who’s also a volunteer firefighter is getting the recognition he deserves after rushing to the fire that broke out at the orthopedic institute at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Dickson City in Lackawanna County earlier this month.
On February 4, David Spalding was sitting at home in Upper Macungie when an alert came on his phone.
“‘Possible structure fire at Dickson City hospital’, obviously piqued my interest,” Spalding said.
Spalding is a registered nurse in the transitional open-heart unit at LVH-Cedar Crest and a volunteer firefighter.
“I’m still a member of the troop in the Olyphant Fire Department,” he said. “I went to school at Penn State Scranton, and I joined the fire department up there.”
He quickly knew it was a large-scale fire, so he hopped in his car and drove over an hour to the fire station.
“I knew that it was my place of employment,” said Spalding. “I felt a duty to get up there and help them anyway that I could.”
He was quickly dispatched to the scene. “As I went around the back of the building where the orthopedic section was and saw the fire, my heart sank a little bit, I just saw the amount of extensive damage,” said Spalding.
The orthopedic institute attached to the hospital was a total loss; Spalding focused on helping to save the main hospital. He said, “I went up to the roof, and I helped a man with a chainsaw just looking for any extension that was in the building.”
His hard work paid off.
“The status of the building today is that we reopened just a few days after the fire. We have reopened our emergency department,” said Bob Begliomini, President of Jefferson Health, Lehigh Valley Region.
Begliomini said they are now trying to relocate the orthopedic institute to a temporary location.
Spaulding’s hard work, both as a fire fighter and nurse, has not gone unnoticed.
“We’re so proud of him,” said Begliomini. “He should be proud of himself, and he really helped save our hospital, as he saves life as a critical care nurse.”
Spalding said it’s just his calling.
“It’s a privilege to wear this uniform, it’s a privilege to wear the scrubs at work,” he said. “It’s just a privilege to take care of people.”