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Do IT this week: Layering
By Phil Trexler
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 08:08 p.m. EST, Nov 17, 2009
The escape plan was devised in a matter of seconds as fire and smoke raced through their Akron home early Tuesday.
Ramon Redding, a 33-year-old grocery store manager, had little time and few alternatives. He ordered his family to follow him out of the second-story window to a concrete driveway below. He would catch them all, he assured his wife, Satawana, and his young stepchildren.
The plan worked.
''We had a plan and we followed through with the plan in a split second,'' said Satawana Redding, 33. ''That's all we had, a split second. In a split second, we knew we had to get out. We had no other choice.''
Ramon Redding landed first, injuring his heel. His wife went next, injuring her arm as her husband cushioned her fall. Their children, Alaecius Walters, 10, and Saterea Singleton, 12, safely followed, making the 15-foot jump.
The children were being held Tuesday night at the Akron Children's Hospital burn unit to be treated for smoke inhalation.
The family's three other children, 17, 16 and 15, were with their grandmother when the fire broke out.
The family's Noah Avenue house and all personal belongings were destroyed by the smoke and flames.
Ramon and Satawana Redding remain grateful.
''We're very blessed, because we all could have died,'' Ramon Redding said. ''It didn't really hit me until I'm across the street and I'm watching all the firetrucks and I could see the house on fire. I'm just thankful that God looked over us and helped us get out of the house. From what I saw last night, I'm surprised we even got outside ourselves.''
Akron firefighters say the cause of the fire is under investigation. It appears it started on the first floor.
Smoke detectors aroused the Reddings at about 3 a.m. Everyone was upstairs and the Reddings knew going out the front door was not an option.
''I jumped out of bed and my wife opens our bedroom door and smoke just gushes into our room,'' Ramon Redding said.
The parents called to their children down the hall and they rushed to the bedroom, coughing from the smoke. All four huddled in an adjacent room while Ramon Redding spelled out his plan for everyone to jump.
Father and mother planned to jump first so they could team up to catch the children.
''More or less, we're like one,'' said Satawana Redding, who works for the American Red Cross blood donor program. ''When you get married, you become one. It's like we're one. It was a team effort. [But] I'm in disbelief. I knew we couldn't go downstairs in the smoke. We would have never made it to the door. So I knew we had to get out the window.''
The family was barely dressed and the outside temperature was in the lower 40s.
''At that point, I went to a window, busted it open and jumped out,'' Ramon Redding said. ''I can't even get it out of my head. I keep seeing my wife and stepkids' faces when they were hanging out that window. I just kept telling them to jump, jump, I got you, I got you.''
There was no deviation from the plan. The Reddings' intent, they said, was to save their children.
''I told [the children] I was proud of them, because usually a kid will hesitate,'' Ramon Redding said. ''But they came right down. They trusted us. I'm proud of them. It was like a scene from a movie. It was that intense to me.''
After reaching the ground, the family's escape was not over. The flames were so hot, the smoke was so heavy, they had to jump a fence to reach a neighbor's yard.
''By that time, I got a good look at the house and it was like the whole front porch and the living room was on fire,'' Ramon Redding said. ''The fire was so strong, I thought the house was going to blow up.''
In the confusion, Ramon Redding had to be talked out of returning for the family cat, a calico named Little Bit.
Satawana Redding said the cat was actually the first to jump out of the window. It is still missing.
The Reddings, dressed in gray sweatpants and shirts given to them at the hospital, spoke to reporters at the Comfort Inn in Montrose, where they are expected to stay the next couple of nights. The American Red Cross is helping them.
Saterea Singleton is an honor student and seventh-grader at Perkins Middle School. Alaecius Walters is a fifth-grader at Hope Academy.
They expect to stay with family members until they come up with another plan for a new home.
A collection for the family has been organized at Fifth Third Bank. Donations can be made in the family's name at any bank branch.
In the meantime, Ramon Redding is being hailed as the family savior.
''I was just being a dad and a husband,'' he said.
''He's our hero,'' Satawana Redding said.
Phil Trexler can be reached at 330-996-3717 or ptrexler@thebeaconjournal.com.
The escape plan was devised in a matter of seconds as fire and smoke raced through their Akron home early Tuesday.
Ramon Redding, a 33-year-old grocery store manager, had little time and few alternatives. He ordered his family to follow him out of the second-story window to a concrete driveway below. He would catch them all, he assured his wife, Satawana, and his young stepchildren.
The plan worked.
''We had a plan and we followed through with the plan in a split second,'' said Satawana Redding, 33. ''That's all we had, a split second. In a split second, we knew we had to get out. We had no other choice.''
Ramon Redding landed first, injuring his heel. His wife went next, injuring her arm as her husband cushioned her fall. Their children, Alaecius Walters, 10, and Saterea Singleton, 12, safely followed, making the 15-foot jump.
The children were being held Tuesday night at the Akron Children's Hospital burn unit to be treated for smoke inhalation.
The family's three other children, 17, 16 and 15, were with their grandmother when the fire broke out.
The family's Noah Avenue house and all personal belongings were destroyed by the smoke and flames.
Ramon and Satawana Redding remain grateful.
''We're very blessed, because we all could have died,'' Ramon Redding said. ''It didn't really hit me until I'm across the street and I'm watching all the firetrucks and I could see the house on fire. I'm just thankful that God looked over us and helped us get out of the house. From what I saw last night, I'm surprised we even got outside ourselves.''
Akron firefighters say the cause of the fire is under investigation. It appears it started on the first floor.
Smoke detectors aroused the Reddings at about 3 a.m. Everyone was upstairs and the Reddings knew going out the front door was not an option.
''I jumped out of bed and my wife opens our bedroom door and smoke just gushes into our room,'' Ramon Redding said.
The parents called to their children down the hall and they rushed to the bedroom, coughing from the smoke. All four huddled in an adjacent room while Ramon Redding spelled out his plan for everyone to jump.
Father and mother planned to jump first so they could team up to catch the children.
''More or less, we're like one,'' said Satawana Redding, who works for the American Red Cross blood donor program. ''When you get married, you become one. It's like we're one. It was a team effort. [But] I'm in disbelief. I knew we couldn't go downstairs in the smoke. We would have never made it to the door. So I knew we had to get out the window.''
The family was barely dressed and the outside temperature was in the lower 40s.
''At that point, I went to a window, busted it open and jumped out,'' Ramon Redding said. ''I can't even get it out of my head. I keep seeing my wife and stepkids' faces when they were hanging out that window. I just kept telling them to jump, jump, I got you, I got you.''
There was no deviation from the plan. The Reddings' intent, they said, was to save their children.
''I told [the children] I was proud of them, because usually a kid will hesitate,'' Ramon Redding said. ''But they came right down. They trusted us. I'm proud of them. It was like a scene from a movie. It was that intense to me.''
After reaching the ground, the family's escape was not over. The flames were so hot, the smoke was so heavy, they had to jump a fence to reach a neighbor's yard.
''By that time, I got a good look at the house and it was like the whole front porch and the living room was on fire,'' Ramon Redding said. ''The fire was so strong, I thought the house was going to blow up.''
In the confusion, Ramon Redding had to be talked out of returning for the family cat, a calico named Little Bit.
Satawana Redding said the cat was actually the first to jump out of the window. It is still missing.
The Reddings, dressed in gray sweatpants and shirts given to them at the hospital, spoke to reporters at the Comfort Inn in Montrose, where they are expected to stay the next couple of nights. The American Red Cross is helping them.
Saterea Singleton is an honor student and seventh-grader at Perkins Middle School. Alaecius Walters is a fifth-grader at Hope Academy.
They expect to stay with family members until they come up with another plan for a new home.
A collection for the family has been organized at Fifth Third Bank. Donations can be made in the family's name at any bank branch.
In the meantime, Ramon Redding is being hailed as the family savior.
''I was just being a dad and a husband,'' he said.
''He's our hero,'' Satawana Redding said.
Phil Trexler can be reached at 330-996-3717 or ptrexler@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Posted 07:51 AM, 11/18/2009
What a wonderful family. I'm happy to see the all made it out safely. Good things happen to good people.
Posted 08:02 AM, 11/18/2009
This is truly an amazing story...God Bless them.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:22 AM, 11/18/2009
A similar thing happened to me many years ago and everybody in the city contributed clothes and stuff. It helped more than I can say. Where can I drop off female clothes for a size 4 and a size 10-12 and other things these people will need?
Richfield, OH
Posted 08:26 AM, 11/18/2009
Hero. Quick thinker.
Perhaps we should let him make the troop decision and not Obama.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:34 AM, 11/18/2009
Saw this story and so glad everyone is okay. I also thought it was a coincidence - on the Word Game today, the word is HEROISM. For anyone who's never tried this game, you use the letters of this word to come up with as many separate words as you can. For this word, two answers would be "some" or "more". They also give you the definition of the word - in today's paper, we not only know the definition but see a picture and read a story of what heroism means.
akron, oh
Posted 08:57 AM, 11/18/2009
What a story!!! I am glad this man knew what to do, in order to save his family. Due to the recent laying off of firefighters, I am also glad this family did not suffer major injuries.
Copley, OH
Posted 09:09 AM, 11/18/2009
If anyone knows of a place to make donations for this family, please post it. I would like to help.
Orrville, Oh
Posted 09:11 AM, 11/18/2009
God Bless you all!!! Great Job DAD!!!!
Fredricksburg, VA
Posted 09:24 AM, 11/18/2009
Wow, my heart is touched at the amount of people asking how they can help. ABJ, please post info so we can help out.
Posted 09:27 AM, 11/18/2009
Thank God you are all okay. Ramon, you are a wonderful man, good fast thinking on your part. It takes a special man to stay and save his family. I know most would say .... Wouldn't Any Man?!! No ! Not every man would. I know because I lost 3 family 12 yrs. ago (Sister, niece and friend). I know everyone reacts differently, but to leave your family behind? That's something I will never understand.
Will someone please post where to send donations.
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Posted 09:28 AM, 11/18/2009
It's nice to get up in the morning and read something nice like this, about real heroism in the world. The house and everything in it, like all of our houses and condos and apartments, are just things. I would be happy to make a donation...
ProChoice, OH
Posted 09:54 AM, 11/18/2009
Glad everyone got out safe, that's GREAT news. Hope they find their cat safe & sound, that would make for a nice reunion too!
Chagrin Falls, OH
Posted 09:58 AM, 11/18/2009
I have the chills reading this story. Redding Family: I thank God you made it out and pray for your children's recovery and for your peace and comfort. I'm so sorry this happened to you. Hope you find your cat, too!
akron , oh
Posted 10:24 AM, 11/18/2009
god bless you.
Akron, Oh
Posted 11:30 AM, 11/18/2009
God is blessing Ramon and his family. I watched this young man grow up in our church and I thank the Lord he and his family made it to safety.
Akron, OH
Posted 11:46 AM, 11/18/2009
Right on, Ramon; level-headed in a crisis is a wonderful attribute! Here's hoping the kitty is found safe too!
Akron, OH
Posted 12:02 PM, 11/18/2009
Having a smoke detector, a plan, and remaining calm truly saved this family. I can only hope and pray that I can be as focused and determined as Mr. Redding if I find myself and family in a similar or same situation. God bless the Redding family and I hope you find Little Bit safe and sound.
P.S. Check your smoke detectors regularly, keep extra batteries on hand so you can change them when needed, and if you don't have at least one, get one.
Akron, OH
Posted 12:05 PM, 11/18/2009
For those that were asking. An account for the family has been set up at 5/3. As for donating household, clothing, and personal items, maybe check with the Red Cross since they are helping out the family.
Akron, Oh
Posted 01:43 PM, 11/18/2009
GO Bless You Ramon. I went to school with him and know he is a great person and has always been able to think quick on his feet. Praying for your family at this time...
Akron, Oh
Posted 01:43 PM, 11/18/2009
GOD Bless You Ramon and your family. I went to school with him and know he is a great person and has always been able to think quick on his feet. Praying for your family at this time...
Akron, Oh
Posted 03:55 PM, 11/18/2009
Ramon said he was very blessed. It's good to know that Ramon still believes in the power and the awesomeness of God that he was taught as a child growing up in the church. God will allow problems so that he can create an opportunity to show us that He is still God. He is God in your storm, he is God in your crises and he is God in your delima.
And now unto Him, who is able to do exceedingly, abundtly above all you may ask or think.
Posted 03:57 PM, 11/18/2009
God Bless this family . And thank God for Ramon's quick thinking.
NorthernWestVirginny, WV
Posted 04:12 PM, 11/18/2009
Spitwad...he sould have made the CORRECT decisions during the Iran Contra debacle or even the rush to war in Iraq.
