Oakland firefighters help ailing husband, finish his yardwork

OAKLAND, Calif. - A group of Oakland firefighters is being praised for not only helping a man who collapsed in front of his home – but for finishing his yardwork.

The man's wife took to Nextdoor to share the story. 

According to her post, her husband experienced dizziness and fell on the sidewalk while working in the front yard. He had recently been undergoing cancer treatment.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the firefighters swiftly arrived at the scene to provide necessary medical care for the ailing man.

And then they picked up some rakes and clippers and tended to his lawn and bushes. The wife took photos of what they did. 

"The firefighters exhibited extraordinary kindness and professionalism. They not only tended to my husband's medical needs but also took it upon themselves to finish the yard work," the man's wife expressed gratefully.

Firefighter Dominik Wiedemann emphasized that their actions were simply an embodiment of the department's values. 

"We just did what any member of this department would have done," he said. "We recognize that there's an unfinished job to be done, and getting an opportunity to make somebody's day a little better is always a good feeling. We see something that needs to get done, and the mentality around here is to just take care of that." 

Battalion Chief Anthony Sanders added that firefighters did not help out for the publicity.

"We do it because it's the right thing to do, and this crew exemplified what it means to be a firefighter today," he said.