NEW HAVEN, Conn. — New Haven Fire Department's Samod Rankins is retiring, he announced in a letter Monday morning.
Rankins was a captain with the department and came back after being severely injured in the line of duty nearly three years ago.
In May 2021, Rankins was part of the group of firefighters that responded to a fire on Valley St. in New Haven, along with his coworker and friend, Ricardo Torres Jr. The two made mayday calls, as they became trapped in the home while battling the flames. Torres Jr. lost his life. Somehow, Rankins was able to make it out alive. He spent some time in the hospital before being released and welcomed home by his community.
Rankins went back to work with the department two years after the fire. He said at the time that he was happy to return and to "feel somewhat back to normal," but the journey during recovery had been hard.
In his retirement announcement, he said that the injuries he sustained in that original house fire still affect him to this day. He also said that he wondered "how I would cope with trauma" before joining the fire department and that it didn't take long to figure out due to the fire and the loss of his friend.
"To all my fellow firefighters, I urge you to hold onto the person you were before joining the fire service, keep that version of yourself tucked away within, consult with them when things get difficult," Rankins said in the letter.
Rankins continued in the letter to thank Lt. Matthew Thomas and paramedic Tyrone Reed for saving his life in 2021 and his friends, family, recruiting class, and the New Haven community for their "unwavering support" over the years.
He said that while retiring at the age of 31 and after only six years in the department is "unusual," Rankins said that he's grateful to spend more time with family, heal, and share experiences with fellow firefighters across the country.
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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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