03/13/06 New fire lieutenant is paying it forward

NORTH PORT - Romeo Carrano wanted more out of life. The landscaping business he owned 10 years ago didn't offer what he sought.

"I had no benefits, I had to work all the time," Carrano said.

He loved adventure, and not knowing what would happen next excited him. So Carrano looked into becoming a firefighter.

Ten years later, Carrano, 41, is North Port Fire Department's newest lieutenant. He replaced Lt. Peter Trapani, who retired in February.

However, the road for Carrano wasn't easy. His is a story of courage, dedication, true grit, and a will to keep hardships from bringing him down.

His first hurdle was going to the fire academy. The problem was, he couldn't afford it.

"I enlisted in the military first and became a Navy hospital corpsman," he said. "When I was done, the state of Florida didn't accept any of my training. So I still had to go to school and pay for it anyway."

Carrano became a firefighter in Bradenton in 1991, and four years later joined the North Port Fire Department as a firefighter-paramedic.

Life would throw another obstacle in Carrano's way. Five years ago, he almost lost his career as a firefighter and came close to losing his life and that of his daughter, Jessica.

Jessica, who was 7 years old then, had been begging him to take her on a motorcycle ride, Carrano recalls. So on March 29, 2001, he picked her up from Kingsway Elementary School.

While they were riding on Peachland Boulevard in Port Charlotte, a driver failed to yield the right-of-way entering an intersection and hit Carrano and his daughter.

At first, Carrano said he didn't realize the severity of the crash.

"My main concern was finding Jessica, but I was held down by emergency personnel," Carrano said. He was put in a helicopter and flown to Lee Memorial Hospital, where doctors worked to save his life.

"I remember overhearing a doctor tell my mother they were working on a dead man," Carrano said.

Carrano lost his left leg, just above the knee, in the accident. But after his surgery, he was still losing blood. The doctors finally discovered he was bleeding out from one of his kidneys, and removed part of it.

Jessica was taken to Tampa General in critical condition. She suffered a head injury and spent months in a body cast. She just recently had an operation to lengthen her left leg. She is now healthy, and has fully recovered from her injuries.

Carrano then faced the possibility of losing what he loved most -- being a firefighter.

"I knew there was going to be a challenge ahead of me," Carrano said. He was determined, and worked hard at his recovery.

"While I was recovering in the hospital, I had them install weights on pulleys so I could start exercising," he said.

By May 2001, Carrano was out of the hospital and he began physical therapy. In June, he got his prosthetic leg. In July, he finished therapy, and started light duty in August.

"My leg is specially designed for the work I do," Carrano said. His leg has shock absorbers, hinges, and is made of steel.

Carrano was not alone. He received overwhelming support from the community and his fellow firefighters.

"I don't know what I did to deserve it. They were there for me, and I didn't want to let them down," he said. "If it wasn't for them, I couldn't have come back."

Knowing he could never repay the generosity he received, Carrano said he decided to "pay it forward."

He talks to people who lost legs, and encourages them to keep following their dreams.

Carrano also takes trips to Bethesda Medical Center in Maryland to talk with Marines coming back from Iraq who lost legs.

Carrano had to adapt and learn new ways to do his job.

"I would come in and practice," Carrano said. "I can't drive off my left leg when pulling a hose, so I have to do a pull and turn."

Going up a ladder, Carrano said he is a little bit slower, but learned new techniques that allow him to carry the weight needed.

When he took his physical agility test, he passed it on the first try.

Carrano had one more hurdle to face. Once he was back full-time, his fellow firefighters had some serious doubts whether he could save their lives if he had to.

"I heard they were talking about that behind my back," Carrano recalls. "Then one day, one of the men came to me and told me what the squad's concerns were."

"So I took them all to the burn house, and dragged every one of them out of the building," Carrano said. "After that, there were no doubts."

Fire Chief William Taaffe said the entire department respects Carrano for his perseverance and determination.

"It takes a lot of physical ability to be a firefighter-paramedic, and Romeo has overcome some tremendous obstacles. We are proud to have him as a member of the North Port Fire Rescue District," Taaffe said.