NEW ORLEANS — All week we have been bringing you stories from people who were touched by Eric Paulsen. There have been people in the food and music industry. And there is another unusual fond memory from a New Orleans firefighter.
Of all the memories you've shared about Eric Paulsen, we found one post different than most. It was from a 32-year veteran of the New Orleans Fire Department. So, we just had to find him.
“We're good at finishing things," said Albert Faciane, retired District Chief with the NOFD. "We finish things as a team. So, I miss that,” he said.
District Chief Albert Faciane just retired. He misses the NOFD camaraderie. And he wanted to share the story of how one day, in 2015, Eric Paulsen tried to join that brotherhood.
“We could see that this was going to be a very difficult fire. It was a large home, and smoke was coming from multiple locations from the home,” remembers Faciane.
Albert was on an uptown 2-alarm fire. He was in command and ordered a firefighter named Eric to make sure no one was in the house. Then he noticed a bystander.
“I saw a gentleman standing on the corner right in front of the home next door, south of the building, and I didn't pay any attention to it," Faciane said. "He was safely away from the building.”
Then Eric the firefighter came out of the house.
“I say, ‘Eric, get the hydrant!’ I yelled very loud. And Eric Paulsen just started running and immediately when he started running, I recognized him. And that's, it was a surreal moment for me. You know, I grew up watching Eric Paulsen, who didn't in the City of New Orleans. I yelled out as loud as I could, ‘No, the other Eric.’”
After three hours with the fire now under control, Albert approached Eric Paulsen.
“I said, ‘Eric.’ ‘What was your plan when you get to this hydrant?’ And he looked at me, and I said, ‘I don't know.’ He said, ‘You yelled run Eric. I ran,’” Faciane said recounting the conversation.
They had a laugh, then Eric Paulsen conveyed this.
“He was really just applauding our effort. He said, ‘I'd never seen it before. This was really great to see from beginning to end.’ And he was telling how great we were.”
Albert never saw Eric Paulsen again, well in person, but just had to post his lasting impression from a decade ago.
“I was touched and impressed by how fast Eric reacted to that. It was funny that he was that connective tissue between all of us because we're all connected to Eric. Always were.”
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